Australia captain Ricky Ponting slammed his 34th Test century here Sunday to join retired Sunil Gavaskar of India and Brian Lara of the West Indies.
ADELAIDE: Australia captain Ricky Ponting slammed his 34th Test century here Sunday to join retired Sunil Gavaskar of India and Brian Lara of the West Indies in second spot in the list of maximum century makers headed by Sachin Tendulkar, who has 39.
Ponting made 140 off 266 balls on the fourth day of the fourth Test to register his first one as captain against India. Overall, Ponting has hammered 14 centuries as captain, the same as West Indies's Clive Lloyd and Lara and Don Bradman of Australia. Australians Steve Waugh and Allan Border jointly hold the record with 15 each.
The right-handed Ponting has now scored five centuries against India. David Boon and Matthew Hayden jointly share the record for most centuries, six, for Australia against India.
Ponting also became the first batsman to register five centuries in Adelaide, bettering the previous record of four jointly held by Border and Boon.
During his century knock, the Australia captain completed 1,500 runs against India; he has now scored 1,521 at an average of 49.06 in 19 Tests. He is the third Australian after Hayden (1,654 at 66.16 in 14 Tests) and Border (1,567 at 52.23 in 20 Tests) to aggregate 1,500 runs or more against India.
In the current series, Ponting has aggregated 268 at 38.28, including one century and one half-century.
Ponting and Michael Clarke (118 off 243 balls) put on 210 for the fourth wicket -- a record for Australia against India. They eclipsed the 178-run stand between Dean Jones and Allan Border in the tied Madras Test in 1987-88.
The two centurions also bettered Australia's previous best against India for this wicket at the Adelaide Oval. Keith Miller and Lindsay Hassett held the previous record of 142 in the 1947-48 match.
Clarke posted his second century against India and sixth of his career. On his Test debut, he had registered a career-best 151 at Bangalore in October 2004 and was adjudged the Man of the Match.
During the course of his innings, Clarke completed his 2,000 runs in Tests. He now has an aggregate of 2,044, scored a good average of 46.45, in 33 Tests. He is the 48th Australian to have amassed 2,000 runs or more in Test cricket. Clarke has amassed 316 at 45.14 in the series, including one century and two half-centuries.
Besides Ponting and Clarke, Matthew Hayden also hit a century in the first innings. Thanks to the trio, Australia, for the fourth time in a Test innings against India, recorded three hundreds. The previous instances occurred in Adelaide in 1947-48, in Melbourne in 1967-68 and in Madras in 1986-87.
Adam Gilchrist (14) has averaged 21.42 - 150 runs in seven innings, including one half-century - in his last Test series as he has announced that he would retire at the end of this match. His Test aggregate is 5,570 at 47.60, including 17 centuries and 26 half-centuries at an excellent strike rate of 81.95. His has also carted 100 sixes to become the only man to do so.
India bowled out Australia for 563, though the hosts took a 37-run first-innings lead Sunday. India had scored 526 in their first innings and were 45 for one wicket in their second innings at stumps on the penultimate day.
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