Ponting backs Gavaskar as Rohit comes under fire

Ricky Ponting has called on Rohit Sharma to "be better" after the India vice-captain gifted his wicket away on day two of the fourth Test at the Gabba.

Having hit Nathan Lyon to the boundary earlier in the over to move to 44 without trouble, Rohit then looked to take the off-spinner over the rope but instead holed out to Mitch Starc at wide long-on.

Rohit's dismissal was lambasted by India legend Sunil Gavaskar, who was commentating on 7 Sport's broadcast at the time.

"Why? Why? Why? That's an unbelievable shot. That's an irresponsible shot," Gavaskar said.

"You've just hit a boundary a couple of deliveries earlier, why would you play that shot? You're a senior player, there's no excuse, absolutely no excuse for this shot.

"An unnecessary wicket, gifted away."

Ponting echoed Gavaskar's sentiment, which saw India reduced to 2-60, still 309 runs adrift from Australia's first-innings total.

"It's easy to say that's the way he plays but you've got to be better than that," Ponting told cricket.com.au.

"If you want to be a really good, consistent Test match batsman you can't just be going and throwing what could have been such a promising innings away like he did.

"He got to 44 comfortably, everything seemed to be hitting the middle of the bat, he just started to play some nice drives down the ground.

"And the trap was set for him as well, that mid-on fieldsman was three-quarters of the way back, there was also a deep forward square leg, so what Rohit was thinking there we'll never know.

"I'm sure Rohit would love to have his time over again."

Rohit is regarded as one of the greatest white-ball batters the game has produced, but the 33-year-old has failed to translate that dominance to Test match cricket away from home.

In India, the right-hander averages 88.33, with six centuries in 14 matches.

But in 20 Tests outside the subcontinent, that average drops to 27.58 with a top score of 79.

His Test career started with a bang, scoring 177 and 111 not out in his first two matches from No.6 at home to the West Indies.

He then went 34 innings over four years until his next Test century – against Sri Lanka in Nagpur.

It wasn't until Rohit moved to opener 15 months ago, against South Africa in India, where he amassed scores of 176, 127, 14 and 212, that he showed his full potential in the Test team.

While he missed the first two Vodafone Tests due to a late arrival into Australia, Rohit looked in fine touch at the SCG in the third Test only to be dismissed for 26 and 52.

In Brisbane, he looked in control during his 74-ball stay before getting himself out, as he did twice in Sydney having established himself at the crease.

Ponting has seen Rohit up close at Mumbai in the Indian Premier League and the Australia great could not understand why his spectacular white-ball game wasn't being replicated in Test matches.

"I think he's a better player now than what he was (in 2016)," Ponting said.

"You look at him now technically, the way he defends front foot and back foot now against the brand-new ball in Test match cricket, he's a better player than he was.

"Now I don't know if that's a self-belief thing or if he's made any technical changes.

"But I coached and played with him at the Mumbai Indians and it was always one thing I tried to work out, because whenever I saw him in the nets against the white ball the defensive side of his game was there and this amazing array of strokes was tucked in behind it.

"I was scratching my head at the time, trying to work out why he hadn't made a better go of (Test cricket).

"(Rohit's) record away from home is not great, (and) that's where innings like today become so important for someone like him.

"If you want to change that record around and be recognised as a great Test match batsman away from your conditions, you've got to capitalise on starts like he (had) today."

Vodafone Test Series v India 2020-21

Australia Test squad: Tim Paine (c), Sean Abbott, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner

India Test squad: Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, T Natarajan

First Test: Australia won by eight wickets

Second Test: India won by eight wickets

Third Test: Match drawn

Fourth Test: January 15-19, Gabba, 11am AEDT