Never known Tendulkar to walk when given out: Ponting

Ahmedabad, Mar. 23 (ANI): Days before the India-Australia quarterfinal encounter at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera, Australian captain Ricky Ponting has gone on the front foot verbally, and said that he has never known Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar to walk voluntarily when given out.

Participating in a Headlines Today interview with former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly on Tuesday, Ponting said he had been very consistent in not walking way until the umpire had ruled him out.

Ponting said that he was surprised when Tendulkar walked after the umpire had not ruled him out caught behind in a pre-quarterfinal match against the West Indies in Chennai on March 20.

"I've never known Sachin to be someone that walks all the time, so I'm not sure why he chose to walk the other day," Fox Sports quoted Ponting, as saying.

"If I get a nick behind to the 'keeper, then I stand there until the umpire makes a decision," he added.

"If Sachin had looked up the other day and noticed that the umpire was giving him not out, then I'm not sure he would have walked either," he said.

Ganguly supported Ponting's view that walking can be a bad idea, especially in a big game like Thursday's quarterfinal between Australia and India in Ahmedabad.

"Sachin has never done that in the past, let's be honest, and he shouldn't because there have been times when he has been given out and he was not out," Ganguly said.

"At the end of the career, it balances. I think it's fair for everyone to wait for the umpire's decision, including Sachin Tendulkar," he added.

"It could be a big game India 100 for three, Tendulkar batting on 55, he's holding the key to India's success. I would really not want him to walk unless an umpire has given him out," Ganguly said.

"He needs to stick to the umpire's decision. Whether he does that consistently, we'll have to wait and see," he added. (ANI)