Australia's victory was Ponting personified
07/01/10

Make no mistake, this was a victory for Australia's cricketers in the image of their captain Ricky Ponting - tough, gritty and imbued with a never-say-die, us against the world attitude.

That's what carried Australia home in this Test. Rare are victories that come after first innings deficits of more than 200 runs. They require something special - and the Australians had that in spades yesterday.

In every facet, the Australians personified their captain's character. They weren't going to concede defeat. Although they finished day three eight down and less than 100 runs in front, they were determined to force the Pakistanis to earn their victory.

There were key moments of course - the partnership between Mike Hussey and Peter Siddle will deservedly win most of the praise. But a 100-plus opening stand by Watson and Hughes, awesome catching by Haddin and Hauritz and the flawless fielding of the Australians on the fourth day all played a part. Unfortunately for the tourists, four dropped catches by keeper Kamran Akmal helped considerably.

But on days like yesterday, it's the positive that deserves the spotlight.

Ponting has been much-maligned for captaincy that's seen as predictable, conservative and lacking in imagination. But no-one could ever accuse him of lacking in mental toughness.

Ponting shouldn't be playing at the moment. The limp mode of his dismissal first ball on day one made it pretty clear he's still favouring the forearm he injured against the West Indies. But this is a young team, an inexperienced team. They need their leader, and there was no way Ponting was going to leave them in the lurch because of a sore arm.

There was plenty of criticism too, about his decision to bat when he won the toss under leaden skies on day one. Given the state of the pitch, it was a gamble. But yesterday's five-wicket haul by Nathan Hauritz illustrated the wisdom in offering the opposition last use of an SCG pitch. While there is room for debate, the history books will show Ponting got it right.

Even after becoming the "winningest" captain in Test history this summer, Ponting has been pilloried. He's been portrayed as just a shadow of the Test captains that preceded him. But not since Border has an Australian captain had so few resources to work with and so few truly world-beating players in his line-up. And Ponting's record makes Border - a bone fide cricketing legend - look ordinary.

The comparison with Border is an appropriate one. In demeanour they are similar. Border is not remembered as a great captain - remember, he was known as 'Captain Grumpy' for much of his reign. But he is remembered for the fighting spirit he instilled in his men. For the guts he showed on the field. And for turning Australian cricket - almost by the force of his own will - into the world's premier cricketing force.

Perhaps Ponting's record will be similarly burnished over time. He may not be remembered for his creativity as captain, or for his success rate as a leader. But for days like yesterday, he deserves all the credit in the world.

Source: ABC