Akash Deep’s animated send-off to Ben Duckett during the fifth Test at The Oval sparked a heated debate, with former Australian captain Ricky Ponting among those who didn’t hold back. Ponting, known for his no-nonsense demeanor during his playing days, admitted that had such a gesture been directed at him, he wouldn’t have taken it lightly—and might’ve responded with a punch.
The incident took place during England’s first innings, in what has been a fiery and emotionally charged Test series. Duckett, who had already scooped Akash Deep for a couple of boundaries, attempted another similar shot in the 13th over but ended up gloving it to keeper Dhruv Jurel. Akash seized the moment and dismissed the left-hander for 43 off 38 balls.
As Ben Duckett began walking back, Akash Deep walked alongside him, put an arm around his shoulder, and appeared to exchange a few words. While Duckett kept his composure, his facial expression betrayed irritation. KL Rahul had to step in and gently diffuse the situation.
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This confrontation added to the series’ growing list of fiery moments, which included the Prasidh Krishna–Joe Root spat earlier in the day and KL Rahul’s tense exchange with umpire Kumar Dharmasena. During the lunch break broadcast on Sky Sports, Ian Ward brought up the incident, jokingly asking Ponting if that would’ve earned a “Ponting right hook” in his playing days.
A much needed breakthrough for India 🔥
And a cheeky send-off for Ben Duckett 😜#SonySportsNetwork #ENGvIND #NayaIndia #DhaakadIndia #TeamIndia #ExtraaaInnings pic.twitter.com/9YaTjcEYOn
— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) August 1, 2025
Rickt Ponting chuckled but didn’t deny it. “That would’ve never gone down well in my time,” he said. “Honestly, I thought they were friends or had played together earlier. That kind of thing, you see it in a local match, not in a high-stakes Test like this one.”
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He was, however, full of praise for Duckett’s composure. “The way Duckett didn’t react earned my respect. He plays cricket with flair and now, clearly, with maturity too,” Ricky Ponting added.
At stumps on Day 2, India managed a 52-run lead, thanks to Yashasvi Jaiswal’s fluent 51\*. The match has already seen 15 wickets fall on a dramatic Friday, underlining the fierce battle between bat and ball in this deciding clash of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025.
