Ponting denies pressure tactics against Indians

Australian captain Ricky Ponting has refuted allegations that his under-pressure bowling attack is resorting to sledging to unnerve Indian bastmen in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Indian opener Gautam Gambhir and all-rounder Shane Watson were involved in a spat on the opening day of the drawn third Test in Delhi. Both players were pulled up by Match Referee Chris Broad, who imposed a 10 per cent match fee fine on Watson and a one-Test ban on Gambhir.

Gambhir, who scored a double century in the match has appealed against the decision. He later said that Australians were trying to unsettle the Indian batsmen with their on-field chats.

On the final day of the match, Mitchell Johnson hurled verbal volleys on set batsman VVS Laxman. The stylish Hyderabadi, who boasts of a clean disciplinary record, was so much agitated that he gave it back to the fast bowler.

However, Ponting claims the number of incidents in this Test and the series is not a pointer to a wider problem.

"You have got to try and work out ways and set up plans to get batsmen out. The stuff that's happening, I don't think is anything to do with that," Ponting was quoted as saying in The Australian.

"If we're struggling to take wickets then that sort of stuff is not going to help you."

Having failed to bowl India out once again, the Australians were trying to talk their opponents out, raising concerns about how the team will approach this week's last Test in Nagpur, which Australia must win to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the report said.