True spirit of game seen in Kotla, says Ponting

New Delhi, Nov 2 (UNI) Despite the onfield confrontations which marred the Kotla Test, Australian captain Ricky Ponting today insisted that both teams played in the true spirit of the game.

The third Test of the Border-Gavaskar series saw both sets of players targeting each other on the field, the most memorable being Gautam Gambhir elbowing Australian all-rounder Shane Watson.

''There were a few things said. But there was no malice,'' Ponting insisted.

''Katich was obviously in a bit of a tangle (with Gambhir) and the umpires had to step in. But we had a job at hand and there was no time to give these things much thought.'' The 33-year-old denied that his teammates resorted to verbal abuse out of sheer frustuation and insisted that sledging had now become part and parcel of the modern game.

''I don't think that was the case. We were struggling to take 10 wickets and had to think of ways and means to get the batsmen out. We had to break their focus and concentration,'' Ponting told mediapersons here.

Ponting views will not come as sweet music to the ears of former cricketers who have lashed out at the present generation for abusing each other on the field.

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