Needing to win to set up a semi-final against the Proteas
(and we know what happened there) Australia chased down the target of 272 to
win with two balls remaining. There was a patient 69 from Ricky Ponting, more
from him later, but it was captain Steve Waugh who held the innings together.
His unbeaten 120 from 110 balls started the trend of Australian captains coming
up trumps in huge World Cup games.
By 2003, Ponting had taken over as captain, and his side
were favourites to retain the title won in 1999. After a mediocre group stage
that only included a couple of half centuries, Ponting exploded into life in
the first Super Six game against Sri Lanka. His 109-ball 114 helped the Aussies
post over 300 to win a game that sent them through to the semi-finals with two
games to spare, and acted as a sign of things to come.
After meeting, and beating, Sri-Lanka again in a low-scoring
semi-final, Ponting’s men faced India in the final. Ponting lost the toss, but
having been put into bat, this was the last thing that would go wrong for the
Australian skipper on the day. After putting on a century stand for the first
wicket, openers Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden fell in quick succession.
This brought Ponting and Damien Martyn together at the crease, and they took
the game away from their opponents quickly and brutally. Martyn’s unbeaten 88
was impressive, but Ponting’s 140 not out was one of the greatest one-day
innings ever seen, on the biggest stage of them all.
Uncharacteristically, Ponting’s only century of the 2007
World Cup was against an associate nation. He followed up the 113 against
Scotland with half centuries as Australia defeated South Africa, England, Sri
Lanka and New Zealand to make serene progress through the tournament. The
reality though was that Australia didn’t need their captain to be anything more
than steady in a tournament they won easily.
2011 was a lot more challenging for the Australians though,
and Ponting’s own struggles were evident. New Zealand and Zimbabwe were the
only Test nations Australia beat in the group stage before bowing out in the
quarterfinals to eventual champions India. The quarterfinal was ultimately disappointing
for Australia, but showed the fighting qualities of their captain. After
failing to pass fifty in the group stage, Ponting rolled back the years to
score 104 and help his side to a competitive total. While 260/6 was not enough
on the day, the qualities that current captain Michael Clarke will be expected
to show, if he gets himself fit for the World Cup this year, were on display
for all to see.
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