Ricky Ponting lost his cool when questioned about a catch he claimed during the final day of the ill-tempered second Test against India.
SYDNEY: Australian skipper Ricky Ponting on Sunday lost his cool when questioned about a catch he claimed during the final day of the ill-tempered second Test against India here on Sunday.
Ponting, fielding at silly point, turned back and dived for a looping catch offered by Mahendra Singh Dhoni but grounded the ball in his effort.
However, he didn't bat an eyelid before making an appeal, which was turned down.
When asked during the post-match press-conference about whether he caught the ball cleanly, an incensed Ponting took offence to the question.
"I claimed the catch and there was no way I grounded it (the ball)."
"If you are questioning my integrity, then probably you shouldn't be sitting here," retorted a furious Australian captain.
He, however, admitted the umpiring blunders marred the Test but hoped the match would be remembered for all the right reasons.
"I think it's fair to say that there were a few mistakes made but I am not going comment anything more as it might get me in trouble," Ponting said after his team's record-equalling 16th straight Test win here.
"I hope this match is remembered for the cricket that was played. Yes, there were a few controversies by the side but the match itself was played in the right spirit and I hope it continues," he added.
Though laid low by a series of dubious decisions, India almost snatched a draw before part-time spinner Michael Clarke conjured up three wickets in five balls to guide the hosts to a thrilling 122-run triumph.
Ponting was at the centre of the contentious dismissal of Sourav Ganguly when umpire Mark Benson sought his word on whether the left-hander's catch had carried to Clarke at slips before ruling the batsman out.
"The umpire looked at me and asked whether that was out. I checked with Michael, who said it was absolutely clean and I gestured that to the umpire," he said.
Clarke apparently took the ball off the ground and the dismissal raised eyebrows as Benson turned to fielders, instead of checking with Steve Bucknor at square leg or the third umpire.
"Before the series started, me and Anil (Kumble) had a meeting with the Match Referee where we agreed to go with the fielder's word on close catches and that is exactly what happened in this case. If you remember, I had decided not to claim a catch earlier in the match when I wasn't sure about it being clean," he pointed out.
On the record-equalling win, Ponting said he never had it in his mind going into the final day's play.
"I wasn't even thinking about the 16th win. To get it is just amazing, especially after the position we were in on the first day of the match. Our recovery was remarkable," he said.
On handing the ball to part-time spinner Clarke, instead of a frontline bowler in the last couple of overs, Ponting said, "He has done it before against India. And I thought tailenders would have it easy against pacers and he seemed like a good spin option as Brad Hogg wasn't getting the wickets," he said.
"We now go to Perth on a wicket and conditions that probably should suit us a lot more than it should suit the Indians," warned Ponting.
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