"I would've punched him": Ricky Ponting furious at Akash Deep's send-off to Duckett during Oval Test

India made a solid comeback on Day 2 of the 5th Test against England, with fiery spells from its pacers rattling the hosts. But a moment involving young Indian bowler Akash Deep has sparked heated debate—especially drawing sharp criticism from former Australian captain Ricky Ponting.

Akash Deep's send-off stirs controversy

During the 13th over, Ben Duckett tried to hit Akash Deep for a big shot, only to lose his wicket. As Duckett began walking back, Akash Deep approached him, placed a hand on his shoulder, and laughed—allegedly saying something along the lines of “Bhai, ulta nahi khelte” (bro, don’t play reverse shots).

The moment was caught on camera and widely shared on social media.

Ponting’s reaction: “Maybe I would’ve punched him”

Speaking on Sky Sports' Lunch Break show, host Ian Ward joked that had this happened to Ricky Ponting in his playing days, there might have been a physical response.
Ponting replied, “Maybe I could have, maybe.” He went on to say:

“At first I thought they must be friends or have played in the same team—because this kind of interaction isn’t normal. I liked how Ben Duckett didn’t react to it and kept his composure.”

Duckett’s counterattack and key stats

Before his dismissal, Ben Duckett played a quickfire knock of 43 off 38 balls, smashing 5 fours and 2 sixes. He and Zak Crawley (64) added 92 runs for the first wicket, setting a strong tone for England before the collapse began.

England were bowled out for 247 runs in reply to India’s 224. For India, Siraj and Prasidh Krishna took four wickets each, while Akash Deep chipped in with Duckett’s key wicket.

Jaiswal leads India's fightback

In their second innings, India ended Day 2 at 75/2, with Yashasvi Jaiswal unbeaten on 51 off 49 balls, hitting 7 fours and 2 sixes. KL Rahul (7) and Sai Sudarshan (11) departed early. India now leads by 52 runs, with Akash Deep (4*) at the crease alongside Jaiswal.

While India's bowling effort drew praise, Akash Deep's aggressive send-off has divided opinion—and may now be a talking point not just in this match, but in debates around on-field behavior in modern cricket.