Moment Ricky Ponting brutally shuts down rival Kevin Pietersen during first Ashes test in Birmingham
Ricky Ponting needed just seven words to brutally knock out his Ashes rival Kevin Pietersen after some over-the-top praise from England batsman Joe Root during day four of the first Test.
The pair spoke of Sky Sport’s commentary at the lunch hour, when England were 5/155, leading by 162.
And Pietersen was quick to shower Root with an unbelievable amount of exaggeration, despite the England star already being sent off by Nathan Lyon after a shocking swipe over the line.
“Joe Root just owned the game. He ran the game, he was pure quality and he just owned that space,” said the
“All this side (Australian players) just scratched their heads and said ‘what are we going to do?’.”
Ricky Ponting (right) took just seven words to brutally take down his old Ashes foe Kevin Pietersen (left, the pair pictured in the 2010 Ashes) over over-the-top commentary
Joe Root played a shocking swipe across the line at Nathan Lyon before being stunned by Aussie keeper Alex Carey
Root made his way to 46 before being fired, though Pietersen lavished praise on him as if he had reached a new century
Ponting dismantled his rival’s praise with a ruthless seven-word smackdown.
“Well, he’s out now, he’s got 40,” he said curtly.
Root had unsuccessfully tried to turn over Pat Cummins’ first ball of the day. He raced to 46 before being sent off by Lyon on a wild shot over the line, the first time he had been stunned in his 130-Test career.
Fans, including ex-Aussie Test star Bryce McGain, were quick to applaud Ponting’s ‘alpha move’ to close Pietersen’s ‘waffle in one sentence’, with many pointing out how exaggerated and ‘awful’ some of the comments have been in the test.
Ricky Ponting, stone cold killer. As KP was talking, you would think Root had 200+,” one wrote, with another commenting: “KP was happy to score forty in an innings, hence the excitement. Punter is never happy with anything under the barrel.”
Top experts were also scathing about Pietersen’s assessment of Root’s innings.
“Grumpy Punter who has absolutely no time for KP’s bulls**t is great,” joked Dave Tickner, while Aussie writer Rohan Connolly said “cricket now full of heroic status,” in reference to Pietersen’s lavish praise.
Ponting’s (left) commentary was praised by many fans from both countries; but Pietersen (right) was criticized for his ‘appalling’ and ‘appalling’ comments on the broadcast
The hits kept coming for South African born and raised English cricket great ‘KP’.
“I mean, KP could play, but he was never the sharpest tool in the shed, was he? Punter, on the other hand, the sharpest cricket brain of his generation. Unfair mismatch to be honest,” one fan wrote in a ruthless takedown of the unpopular commenter.
“I have to admit I loved KP as a payer, but his comment is atrocious. Preach all the time, use three words when one is enough (great, excellent, fantastic), listen tomorrow, try to impress too much,” said another.
“I’ve never rated KP highly but he’s horrible to hear.. The quality of the whole panel is let down by this guy.. I hope he’s not there for all games,” read the next cheeky review .
Going from Ricky Ponting to Kevin Pietersen in the commentary box is terrible. The best analyst in the world… then it’s pure waste of air,” said a tired fan.
Ponting’s blunt closure wasn’t his only brutal feedback to his nemesis on day four.
Ponting (centre) said it certainly wasn’t Pietersen (left) keeping him up at night when it came to bowlers
When asked which England bowler he felt most vulnerable against, Pietersen, a part-time offspinner, quickly tried to interject with the question ‘what about me?’.
Ponting, who hit 13,378 runs at an average of 51.85 during his storied Test career, laughed and said “it certainly wasn’t him” the Australian superstar.
“I remember bowling for him (Ponting) one morning at the WACA. Freddy [Andrew Flintoff] said, ‘Please come and bowl,’ said Pietersen at the moment he was left in disbelief when asked to bowl for an in-form Ponting, who hit 576 runs from eight innings at the astonishing average of 82.
’ I was like, ‘Are you kidding! I’m going bowling to Ricky Ponting at the WACA?!’
The match is dangerously placed ahead of a ravishing match on day five, with Australia 3/107 and centurion Usman Khawaja in the crease in the first innings as they try to score the remaining 174 runs to win what has been a very close test match. .