Ponting watches Kumble stew II

"I didn't really expect to have to go through this all over again on my home turf.

"What has also been somewhat unexpected is the way the Indian media seems to have delighted in analysing and sensationalising every little action, remark or gesture.

"I would really appreciate if certain people realise that cricket is not spoken, it's played and we, the Indian team, are out to play it."

Ponting said he expected the Indian selectors to show more faith in Kumble than the media seemed to have, but at the same time understood that the longer Kumble stuck it out and struggled, the more unrelenting his opponents would become.

"We knew it was only going to take one or two bad performances for some of their more senior players and the whole Indian media was going to be all over them," he said.

"Probably (Sourav) Ganguly and (VVS) Laxman took a bit of it off themselves with a few runs in the Test, but for Kumble to go through a Test without taking any wickets obviously a lot of pressure is going to come back onto him.

"But I think for the sort of guy who's played as much as he has, he can be afforded a bad game every now and then."

Though his great record as a batsman has saved Ponting from much of the critical glare placed on other skippers, his leadership has faced the odd hefty attack, no more so than during the aftermath of the bitter Sydney Test in January.

Well-travelled cricket writer Peter Roebuck went as far as to call for his resignation, while others were little less unforgiving.

The tumult had to affect his batting, just as the current storm cannot be helping Kumble as he seeks rhythm and fitness following a shoulder injury.

It is made worse by the fact that pre-series, most Indians were confidently predicting a home series victory, a notion shaken by events in Bangalore.

"It's more difficult when you're captain as well," Ponting said with some sympathy.

"I think him being captain of the side they would have had great expectations, the Indian media and public, going into that Bangalore game and I think we showed if we play somewhere near our best then I don't care what opposition we're playing against or anywhere in the world, we're going to be very competitive."