Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has criticized Ben Duckett's dismissal in the fifth and final Test match between India and England, attributing it to an "unusual" change in technique. Duckett, who had been in fine form, was dismissed by Prasidh Krishna for 54 off 83 balls on Day 4.

Ponting, speaking on Sky Sports, dissected Duckett's dismissal, pinpointing the moment where the opener altered his approach against Prasidh Krishna. According to Ponting, Duckett's change in technique ultimately led to his downfall. Ponting noted that Duckett had only faced four balls from Krishna in his first over when the shift occurred. He explained that a couple of short balls pushed Duckett back, prompting him to change his entire game and technique.

Ponting elaborated that the ball that dismissed Duckett saw him deep in his crease. Duckett attempted to play forward, but his front foot didn't move in front of the crease line, resulting in an edge. Ponting pointed out that there was a slight seam movement on the delivery, which was full and around off, causing it to move from the middle of the bat to the outside edge. KL Rahul took the catch at second slip.

Ponting found it unusual for a player to change his game, especially when set. He reiterated that Duckett's unusual approach directly contributed to his dismissal. Krishna's delivery was a scrambled seam, delivered from around the wicket, with a full length around off.

Notably, this wasn't the only incident involving Duckett that drew attention. Earlier in the match, Akash Deep gave Duckett a cheeky send-off after dismissing him, which Ponting initially disapproved of, even jokingly saying he would have punched the bowler if he had done that to him. He said that such send-offs are more common in a "local park game" than in a Test match. However, Ponting later softened his stance, appreciating Duckett's composed reaction and acknowledging that the players might be friends or have played together previously.

Prasidh Krishna's performance in the match, where he took 4 wickets, was particularly significant given the criticism he had faced for his previous struggles to adapt to English conditions. His contribution, along with Mohammed Siraj's, was crucial in restricting England's first-innings lead. Krishna dismissed key batsmen, showcasing his effectiveness on the bouncy Oval pitch.