Australia v New Zealand, 1st Test, Brisbane, 2nd day

Khawaja and Ponting steady Australia

The Report by Brydon Coverdale

December 2, 201

Usman Khawaja and Ricky Ponting steered Australia into a steady position after both the openers fell cheaply in reply to New Zealand's 295. At tea on the second day, Australia were 2 for 91, with Khawaja on 38 and Ponting on 34, and the pair had given Australia a solid platform during a relatively quiet session after six wickets fell in the morning.

New Zealand had gone to lunch full of confidence after the debutant David Warner fell for 3 in the second of two overs Australia's batsmen had to face before the break. Tim Southee cramped Warner with a well-directed shorter delivery that the batsman couldn't evade, and the ball brushed the gloves on the way through to the wicketkeeper.

Dean Brownlie

Soon after the resumption, the other opener Phillip Hughes was squared up by Chris Martin and edged to gully, where Martin Guptill took a fine catch low in front of him, and Australia were in trouble at 2 for 25. But Ponting and Khawaja played with level heads, apart from a near run-out when Ponting was sent back by his partner and would have been short with a direct hit.

Ponting's runs came largely through boundaries, including a pull off Doug Bracewell and a lovely drive through the off side against Tim Southee. Khawaja was also keen to avoid risks and he waited for the bad balls, putting them away when they arrived, and by the tea break their partnership had reached 66 runs.

The Australians needed a solid stand to match that of Daniel Vettori and Dean Brownlie, who added 158 and frustrated Australia for a large part of the second morning. Vettori missed out on his seventh Test century, run out for 96, and Brownlie finished unbeaten on 77, their partnership the key in a New Zealand innings that had stuttered in the first session on Thursday.

Nathan Lyon picked up four wickets and was the most consistently threatening of Australia's bowlers, spinning the ball sharply and using flight and guile in his first match of any kind at the Gabba. He wrapped things up shortly before the scheduled lunch break when he turned a ball through the gate and bowled Martin for 1.

The New Zealanders had added 119 on the second day for the loss of their final five wickets, Vettori and Brownlie frustrating the Australians for much of the morning. Vettori pulled well against the fast men and brought up his half-century from his 70th delivery, and seemed set for his first hundred against the Australians.

However, on 96 he tried to hurry through for a quick single to mid-off and despite a full-stretch dive was caught short by the direct hit from Michael Hussey. It was a fine piece of fielding after the Australians had given Vettori a life on 71, when he skied a slog-sweep that should have been taken by Mitchell Starc running round from mid-on.

Australia began to chip away at the lower order after Vettori ran himself out. The wicketkeeper Reece Young was caught at slip for 2 off Peter Siddle, Bracewell edged a Lyon topsinner to slip for a duck, and Tim Southee, having slogged Starc over the fence, was caught at long-on for 17 trying for another six off Lyon.

Brownlie made Australia pay for the chances he gave on the first day and brought up his fifty from his 121st ball with an impressive on-drive for four off James Pattinson. He tried to lift his tempo once he began running out of partners, but had to settle for a solid half-century, his second in two Tests, instead of his maiden hundred.

Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

Bangladesh v Australia, 1st ODI, Mirpur

Clarke prepares for his first challenge

The Big Picture

These are strange times for Australia's cricket team. Last month, they were knocked out of the World Cup in the quarter-finals, the first time in 12 years they had failed to win the tournament. For the first time in nearly three decades, the captain has resigned, but intends to play on under the new leader. And for the first time in four years, they are about to have a winter that is truly an off-season; the next item on their schedule is a tour of Sri Lanka in August, so it's difficult to know how much they can really take from this three-game series in Bangladesh.

Michael Clarke

The most fascinating aspect of the tour from an Australian perspective is the prospect of seeing Michael Clarke take full control of the side. He has been a stand-in leader before but now this is truly, officially, his team, even if the old boss is hanging around. On the occasions when he has captained Australia, Clarke has been willing to take risks and think outside the square, and now he can begin to shape a side that works to his plans. Ricky Ponting will be there in the background if required, but don't expect Clarke to rush to Ponting for advice - he will be his own man. In any case, Shane Watson is the new vice-captain.

For Bangladesh, this is a chance to regain some pride after failing to reach the quarter-finals, despite playing all their World Cup pool matches at home. That was a major disappointment for the country, but they have won their two most recent home limited-overs series, against Zimbabwe and New Zealand late last year. Beating Australia in a series would be their finest one-day achievement, and the first step is to begin the series well on Saturday.

Form guide

(most recent first)
Bangladesh LWWLW
Australia LLWWW

Watch out for...

It's nine years since Ricky Ponting played an ODI for Australia under another captain. Not since Kim Hughes has an Australia captain played on after relinquishing the captaincy, but Ponting seems to have genuinely retained his passion for the game and believes he has something to offer the side in the future. His century in the World Cup quarter-final showed that he has not lost his ability to score runs, and he is expected to stay at No. 3.

As captain of Bangladesh, Shakib Al Hasan would have been devastated with the way his team finished the World Cup, with a 206-run loss to South Africa. It was such a disappointing display that he couldn't even identify any specific problem areas - everything was a weakness. It is his task to turn that around, and much of the responsibility will fall on his own shoulders, as one of the team's key men in both the batting and bowling departments.

Team news

Since the World Cup, Australia have lost Shaun Tait to one-day retirement, Jason Krejza, who has been dropped, and David Hussey, who is at home for the birth of his child. That means Xavier Doherty should come in to the line-up as the lead spinner, while there should also be a place for John Hastings, who sat on the bench throughout the World Cup but showed his talents by taking a hat-trick in the warm-up match on Thursday.

Australia (possible) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Brad Haddin (wk), 3 Ricky Ponting, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Cameron White, 6 Michael Hussey, 7 Steve Smith, 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 John Hastings, 10 Brett Lee, 11 Xavier Doherty.

Bangladesh have made a few changes from their World Cup squad as well, and they should be boosted by the inclusion of Mashrafe Mortaza, who missed the tournament due to a knee injury. Alok Kapali is also back, although it is unclear whether he will definitely play, while Junaid Siddique and Naeem Islam have been dropped from the side that lost to South Africa.

Bangladesh (possible) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Alok Kapali, 4 Shahriar Nafees, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 6 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Mashrafe Mortaza, 9 Shafiul Islam, 10 Abdur Razzak, 11 Rubel Hossain.

Pitch and conditions

Expect a slow and low pitch with some turn. Bowlers who can attack the stumps should be rewarded. The forecast is for a sunny day and a high temperature of 32C.

Stats and trivia

• Clarke has already captained Australia in 24 ODIs and has a strong record of 18 victories, giving him a 75% winning ratio
• Brett Lee is set to play his 200th one-day international, and he will be the ninth Australian to reach that milestone
• Excluding matches against Zimbabwe and the Associates, Bangladesh have played 63 ODIs at home, for nine wins. Four of those came in their whitewash against New Zealand last year
• Even the umpires are looking to the future after the World Cup - the neutral official for this series is Johanes Cloete, a 39-year-old South African who will be embarking on his first major overseas appointment

Quotes

"I think it is absolutely brilliant that Ricky still continues to play on. Having his experience around the group is very important for our development moving forward."
Shane Watson

Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

Australia news

Ricky Ponting steps down as captain

Daniel Brettig

March 29, 2011

ricky ponting crying

Ricky Ponting has stepped down as Australia's captain in Tests and ODIs following their quarter-final exit from the World Cup but will be available for selection as a batsman in both formats. Ponting made the announcement at the SCG on Tuesday, and backed Michael Clarke to take over the leadership of the team.

Ponting said the World Cup exit had prompted his decision and that "no one has tapped me on the shoulder asking me to go."

"I have resigned as captain of both the Test and one-day Australian teams. I will continue to play and am available for selection in both the one day and Test teams," Ponting said. "I have thought long and hard about what Australian cricket needs. Now is the right time for the next captain to assume the responsibility for both the Test and one-day teams. We have to be doing everything we can to win back the Ashes in 2013-14 and the World Cup in 2015. It is highly unlikely that I will be still playing so it is the right decision for Australian cricket that the next captain now be appointed. This will give him the opportunity to create his own direction and legacy.

"Today is a new start for me and I am very excited about the future. I will give my complete support to our new captain and continue to do my best to set the best possible example for my team-mates and emerging cricketers alike."

Any suggestions that Ponting might have been told it was time to quit as captain were categorically denied by the man himself, and his words rang true next to the obvious - and perhaps not always constructive - deference of the chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch, coach Tim Nielsen and CA chief executive James Sutherland.

"I'll absolutely go on record here as saying I've had no tap on the shoulder from anybody; this is a decision that's been made wholly and solely by me and people close to me, my family first and foremost," Ponting said.

"If the decision was too late I think I would've had the selectors and my bosses in Cricket Australia telling me a while ago they felt my time might've been up.

"I can go on record again and say I have never received that sort of message from the selectors or from Cricket Australia."

Ponting expressed his desire to travel to Bangladesh for three limited-overs matches next month. The team for the tour will not be named until Wednesday, but Ponting's announcement should allow Clarke to assume the captaincy on the tour, before difficult assignments against Sri Lanka and South Africa later in the year.

On his arrival home from an unsuccessful World Cup defence, Ponting had said he was prepared to give up the captaincy and also move down the batting order if it was in the interests of the Australian team. With the benefit of a day's reflection, he decided that now was the best time to go. At 36, Ponting believed he can still enjoy the type of renaissance that has sustained Sachin Tendulkar in recent times.

Ponting held the Australian Test and one-day captaincy since he took over from Steve Waugh. He led Australia in 77 Tests of which 48 were wins, the most for any captain. He also captained Australia in a record 228 ODIs and won 164, including two World Cups in 2003 and 2007. Ponting's fortunes as captain, however, waned along with those of the team as a series of retirements weakened its resources. His Test captaincy flamed out in the 3-1 home Ashes defeat in 2010-11 and his one-day reign ended with elimination from the World Cup.

Daniel Brettig is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

Ricky Ponting crying

Ricky Ponting crying
posted by
M.Usman Arshad

Ricky Ponting crying

World Cup 2011

Australia's loss heralds the end of an era

Ricky Ponting doesn't think Australia bowing out of the World Cup marks the end of an era, but it's impossible to come to any other conclusion

Brydon Coverdale

March 25, 2011

Ricky Ponting doesn't think Australia bowing out of the World Cup marks the end of an era, but it's impossible to come to any other conclusion. For more than a decade, Australia have owned all sorts of silverware, Cricket Australia's headquarters in Melbourne more a trophy cabinet than an office. Now, the last of those major prizes is finding a new home after 12 years in Australian hands.

Over the past six months, Ponting's men have lost the Ashes and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, or to be more accurate, they have failed to regain them. Those crowns were already gone. They are clinging on to the Champions Trophy, but there's every chance the ICC will soon scrap that event entirely. In any case, it is a trinket compared to the World Cup.

 Ricky Ponting

Losing the World Cup for the first time since 1996 will hurt tremendously, but winning three in a row should be celebrated. No country has ever matched that feat in the FIFA World Cup. Since Steve Waugh's men began the dynasty in 1999, the football title has changed hands four times: from France to Brazil, then Italy and now Spain. Winning one world tournament is exceedingly difficult, let alone three in succession.

That is little consolation to this 2011 Australian squad, roughly half of whom didn't experience any of those earlier successes. Times change, and to be beaten by an India side that was better than Australia is no disgrace. Ponting's team entered the tournament with the No.1 ODI ranking - for now, they still hold that position - but were far from being the favourites.

There were factors beyond their control that contributed to their lack of success. Their two frontline spinners, Nathan Hauritz and Xavier Doherty, were unavailable due to injuries, as were fast bowlers like Clint McKay and Ryan Harris, who could have added variety. Two weeks in the middle of the tournament without a match, when their clash with Sri Lanka was washed out, didn't help either.

But ultimately, Australia just weren't good enough. Four teams will reach the semi-finals, and will deserve to be there. Australia did not play well enough to join them. That is not to say that the powers that be should blindly accept that nothing can be done. Moving on and making hard decisions will allow regrowth and rejuvenation.

The natural time for change is at the end of an unsuccessful World Cup cycle, on the heels of a disappointing Ashes cycle. As Ian Chappell told ESPNcricinfo in his analysis after the loss to India, Australia must look to a new captain to guide a new team. They have a chance to begin that process with next month's one-day tour of Bangladesh.

The selectors will be loath to make any major changes, including to the leadership, before the review of Australia's on-field performance is completed around August. After the Ashes debacle, they have their own jobs to worry about without rocking the boat further. Why pre-empt the review, they will ask. But it would be wise to use the Bangladesh trip to look at some new faces, men who might become key players for Australia over the next few years.

There are no shortage of options - Aaron Finch, Daniel Christian, Steve O'Keefe, Luke Butterworth, James Pattinson, James Faulkner, to name but a few. And by the next World Cup, Michael Clarke will be the likely captain, so if the selectors are brave enough, it wouldn't hurt to give him the one-day leadership now and allow him four years to mould a side.

Veterans like Brett Lee, who was impressive at the World Cup but wants to go on and aim for 400 ODI wickets, should consider what is best for the team. Can they contribute to the next era of Australian one-day cricket? And if not, is it right to take up a place that could go to a younger man?

"It's a bit premature to say it was the end of an era for Australian cricket, it was a pretty good game tonight," Ponting said after the loss in Ahmedabad. "I didn't think we were far away from winning a game against a very good Indian team on their home soil. I thought we were very competitive tonight, we've lost our last two games in the World Cup, I'm disappointed with that. I thought we were a better team than we probably showed in the last few games. I think it's a bit too early to say it's the end of an era."

But if not now, when?

Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

Australia v India, World Cup 2011, quarter-final, Ahmedabad

Battle of the flawed heavyweights

Match Facts

March 24, Ahmedabad
Start time 1430 hours (0900 GMT)

The Big Picture

This match can be seen through several prisms: champions of the world v pre-tournament favourites, misfiring middle order v misfiring middle order, pace-reliant attack v spin-heavy attack, athletic fielders v incompetent fielders. Australia against India is a clash between teams with obvious imperfections. The loser goes home while the winner heads to Mohali, to play Pakistan on March 30.

Virender Sehwag

If any of Ricky Ponting's men are relatively weak-willed, compared to the Australians of campaigns past, they have had plenty to help them focus in the days leading up to this quarter-final. An Australian paper reported Cricket Australia were going to discuss Ponting's future as captain. An English paper reported Ponting was going to jump before he was pushed. An Indian paper reported sinister allegations about Australia's game against Zimbabwe, prompting an angry retraction demand from the ICC. Whether they were planted to drive Australia to distraction is debatable, but none of the stories was substantiated.

Off-field dramas aside, Australia's progress in this World Cup was smooth at first - a comfortable win against Zimbabwe, a smashing one against New Zealand - and then uninspiring, when they laboured against Kenya and Canada. In each of those matches, at least one weakness was evident: a captain struggling for form, a middle order troubled by turn, spinners incapable of striking, and fast bowlers with wonky radars. All of these frailties were exposed by Pakistan, who ended the legendary unbeaten World Cup run on 34 matches. Australia's successes have been built around the opening partnership of Brad Haddin and Shane Watson, and the energy of Brett Lee. That might not be enough to topple India - but it might, for MS Dhoni's team is far from the shoo-in semi-finalist it was expected to be.

Before the World Cup began, India's batting line-up was thought to possess the armour of God and their bowling was considered less formidable, but effective, in home conditions while the fielding was known to be average. As their campaign played out, it became evident that the armour didn't fit the middle order - there were collapses of 9 for 29 and 7 for 51 - and the bowling, while adequate on helpful surfaces, was mediocre on the more common flat pitches. The fielding has not been average. It has been abysmal. Slow anticipation, slower approaches to the ball, failure to cut off angles, and plain lethargy have allowed opponents to run at will.

For a long time during West Indies' chase, it seemed as though India would make the quarter-finals by beating only the three weakest teams of their group, which would have vindicated this forgiving format designed to prevent the upsets of 2007. But Zaheer Khan saved the day, as India expect him to. Zaheer apart, India have relied on Yuvraj Singh for an extraordinary number of wickets, as well as consistent runs in the middle order. The key, though, is at the top, where Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag have provided tremendous starts. But even if they do it again against Brett Lee and Shaun Tait, it may not be enough.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)

India: WLWWT 
Australia LWWWW

Watch out for...

The batting Powerplay was conceived as an asset for the batting team, an aid in the pursuit of fast runs. In the months leading into the World Cup, it began to be a banana skin, with wickets falling as batsmen resorted to rashness during the fielding restrictions. India have slipped spectacularly on it during the tournament, scoring 9 for 154 off 130 balls. During the batting Powerplay, India lost 1 for 32 against England, 4 for 30 against South Africa and 4 for 28 against West Indies, squandering positions of immense strength. Australia haven't mastered it either, making only 4 for 121 off 100 balls. Those five tricky overs could make or break a campaign tomorrow.

If the stakes weren't large enough to fire up Ponting, the talk about his captaincy and retirement will have strengthened his determination to end his form slump with a cathartic performance. Ponting has been dismissed by the short ball - a strength turned weakness - in this World Cup and by spin, a more traditional subcontinent susceptibility. His composure has also been strained. Eight years ago to the day, Ponting ended India's World Cup dream in Johannesburg with a century of frightening brutality. He plans to watch videos of it in the hope that it will help him reproduce something similar in Ahmedabad.

Sachin Tendulkar watched that World Cup slip out of India's grasp as the bowlers conceded 359 runs the final. He was then dismissed in the first over of the chase. The Player-of-the-Tournament prize was little consolation. He has the opportunity to write a wonderful script tomorrow - a 100th international century in a victory that will dethrone the World Champions. But cricket, like life, is never perfect.

Team news

Virender Sehwag missed the last group game because of an inflamed knee and India are keeping news of his fitness under wraps. He batted on Tuesday and on the eve of the game as well, but Dhoni said they might wait as late as match morning to take a decision on his participation. If Sehwag does not play, India are likely to field the same XI that beat West Indies.

India (probable): 1 Virender Sehwag/Gautam Gambhir, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Gautam Gambhir/Suresh Raina, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Yusuf Pathan, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 R Ashwin, 11 Munaf Patel.

Australia have had an unchanged team since Michael Hussey replaced his brother in the XI, and they are likely to do the same against India. The weakest links have been middle-order batsman Cameron White and offspinner Jason Krejza and potential replacements could be David Hussey and allrounder John Hastings.

"We haven't finalised our 11 yet. We'll have a bit more of a think about things this afternoon, make sure all our players have got through training well, with no injuries or illnesses," Ponting said. "There's a good chance that any of our guys could come in for this game. Coming off a loss last game wasn't ideal for us, and we have to have a look at what we think is going to be the best make-up and balance for the game tomorrow."

Australia (probable): 1 Brad Haddin (wk), 2 Shane Watson, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Clarke, 5 Cameron White/David Hussey, 6 Michael Hussey, 7 Steve Smith, 8 Jason Krejza/John Hastings, 9 Brett Lee, 10 Mitchell Johnson, 11 Shaun Tait.

Pitch and conditions

Australia played their World Cup opener at Motera, where they started slowly against Zimbabwe before accelerating to a formidable total. Ponting expected tomorrow's pitch to be similar to that one. "It was pretty much what you'd expect for a subcontinent wicket: a little bit slower, spun a bit more in the second innings of the game maybe than the first," he said. "We're going to send our coaches down late tonight to have a look at the ground and see if there's any dew about. I think it's supposed to be 41 [degrees] or something [similar], so it will be nice and hot for the boys out there."

Stats and trivia

• India have lost their last four games in Ahmedabad. They batted first in three of those matches.
• Brett Lee has 50 ODI wickets against India, the highest by an Australian bowler. Four of his nine five-wicket hauls are against India.
• India have not won a game against Australia in a global tournament while chasing. Their last win against Australia in a World Cup was in 1987.
• In 14 ODIs against India in India since 2007, Australia have won eight and lost five.

Quotes

"People have been talking about the short-pitched ball a lot, and not to forget the best batsmen in the world don't like facing the short-pitched deliveries. One good thing, it's not something new to us. It follows us. Wherever we are, the shadows of short-pitched deliveries can be seen. I don't think it's a new strategy."
MS Dhoni hopes that familiarity will breed confidence when Lee, Tait and Johnson thunder in.

"Maybe we've just learned to keep our mouths closed a bit more. A lot of that chat hasn't really happened since [Glenn] McGrath and [Shane] Warne went out of the team. Hopefully, our cricket will do the talking on the field tomorrow."
Ricky Ponting on sledging and whether there will be plenty of it during the quarter-final.

George Binoy is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

Australia news

Ponting denies retirement reports

Brydon Coverdale in Ahmedabad

March 23, 2011

Ricky Ponting has quashed reports that he will retire after the World Cup, confirming that he has no plans to end his playing career or give up the captaincy. The Daily Mail on Wednesday reported that Ponting, 36, would retire and was hoping to cap off his career by captaining an English county side this year, but Ponting said the story was untrue.

"I've never ever thought about retirement or where the finish line might be," he said. "I've been trying to prepare myself as best I can as a player and lead the team as well as possible. For some reason, these retirement things keep popping up all the time. As we all know, you probably shouldn't always believe everything you read in the newspaper.

Ricky Ponting

"It looks like every few weeks now I'm having to answer that question. I'm enjoying it as much as ever. We've got a big game coming up against India that I'm looking forward to, and more importantly I'm looking forward to getting out there and performing well as a player."

However, there was some truth to the report, with Ponting's management having scouted around the county circuit in an attempt for Ponting to secure a first-class deal in the lead-up to Australia's Test tour of Sri Lanka in August. Ponting said the county option had fallen through due to the timing of the English domestic competitions.

"I looked at trying to play some county cricket before the Sri Lankan tour this year, for the fact that I would have been coming off three months of no cricket and I thought we were going straight in to Test matches," Ponting said. "That's why my management had a look around a few of the counties to see if they were interested. As it worked out, our programs just didn't line up.

"The Twenty20s and one-dayers are mainly on in England at that time and I wanted to get some four-day cricket under my belt before the Test matches in Sri Lanka. That's how that started, but it didn't work out and I certainly won't be going to play there this year."

The retirement rumour came a day after a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, in which an unnamed Cricket Australia official was quoted as saying that Ponting faced a challenge at board level to retain the captaincy. Ponting said he was keen to play on in Test and ODI cricket and if he was asked to step aside as leader to make way for Michael Clarke, it would not be an issue.

"If Cricket Australia believe, or the selectors believe that there's someone out there better to captain any team that I play in, then so be it," Ponting said. "If it happens that I'm still good enough to be playing in the team with another captain, then so be it as well. I'm open to any of that sort of stuff. By the same token, I'll know when the time is right for me to step aside as captain or step aside as a player. Right now, I don't think that's the right time."

Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

World Cup 2011

Team-mates back Ponting on captaincy

Ricky Ponting's team-mates have leapt to his defence amid reports he could be stripped of the captaincy ahead of next month's one-day series in Bangladesh. The Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday claimed that Cricket Australia would discuss Ponting's future as leader of the side, even if the selectors named him captain for the Bangladesh series.

The paper quoted an unnamed Cricket Australia official as saying that the time was approaching to look to the future, and that "we're waiting for the next thing to blow up". Over the past month, Ponting has created headlines for damaging a TV set in the dressing room, showing his anger at Steven Smith when they collided while going for a catch and for not walking when he got a thick edge to the wicketkeeper against Pakistan.

Perhaps more importantly, Ponting has also been struggling for runs and Australia need him to fire during their quarter-final against India in Ahmedabad on Thursday. Michael Hussey said the team was right behind the captain, and that Ponting had not been any different in his approach over the past few weeks.

Ricky Ponting

"Ricky's got our 100% support," Hussey said. "He's such a class player. It's amazing, it seems like he's been copping criticism over very minor things. Things have been blown way out of proportion from our point of view.

"I've been watching Ricky in the nets and the way he has been preparing. It's just amazing sometimes how champions just rise to the occasion at the right time. Against India on Thursday in the World Cup is one of those times where I think we'll see the best of Ricky Ponting."

Ponting is searching for his fourth World Cup title and although he has signalled his intentions to play on in the limited-overs format, at 36 his long-term future in the one-day game must be in doubt. Mitchell Johnson said Ponting had retained his focus ahead of the India clash, in which a loss would mean the end of Australia's 12-year hold on the World Cup.

"He's a very important player in this tournament. He's been in a few World Cups now, so to have his experience is vital for us and he's a guy we all look up to," Johnson said. "He's copped a fair bit [of criticism] lately and he's dealing with it in his own way.

"He has got the experience needed to be able to deal with it. I don't think he's thinking about it too much, he's just worried about this next game. The guys are there to support him, everyone needs support at times and he is getting it from everyone. He is a tough character but he enjoys that support."

Ponting hasn't made an international hundred in 13 months, and his best score at this World Cup has been 36 - against Kenya in Bangalore last week. He has given no signal that he intends to retire in the near future, and last week said that he would be playing in the Bangladesh series, which begins on April 9.

Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

Australia v Pakistan, Group A, World Cup 2011, Colombo

A hard call on Ponting's one-day future

Ricky Ponting wants to continue in one-day cricket after the World Cup, but there is little to be gained from him playing on

"I'm going. I have to keep playing. I've missed enough cricket the last couple of years." Those were the words of Ricky Ponting earlier this week, when asked if he would be part of Australia's one-day tour of Bangladesh immediately after the World Cup.

Three days later, the chairman of selectors, Andrew Hilditch, had this to say: "Some players get to go on their own terms at the right times and some don't. I suppose if you're determined to play forever then at some stage a selector is going to make the hard call."

Ricky Ponting

Hilditch went on to praise Ponting's energy and fitness, and said that if any man was capable of playing for a long time, it was the Australia captain. There was no hint that his panel would be making a "hard call" any time soon. But there is nothing to be gained from Ponting, who is now 36, extending his one-day career beyond this World Cup.

If he can guide the Australians to a fourth consecutive title, it would be his greatest captaincy achievement. It would also be the perfect time to fold away the coloured clothing for good. If not - and they have much work to do after their 34-match streak without a World Cup loss ended against Pakistan in Colombo - it would still be the right time to start thinking about the next era of Australia's one-day team.

Michael Clarke has proven himself a thoughtful and adventurous captain, and handing him control of the one-day team would be a positive move. It would also create space to give more exposure to young batsmen like Callum Ferguson and Aaron Finch, who could be important parts of Australia's one-day future. And what else can Ponting, a potentially four-time World Cup winner, hope to achieve in one-day cricket?

Maybe he will go on in Tests; the temptation of another challenging summer against India on the horizon, and visions of one final Ashes tour in 2013 still flickering in his mind. However, by the time the 2015 World Cup comes around, he'll be 40, and will be on the golf course working on his formidable handicap.

Of course, Ponting has been a giant of limited-overs cricket - a tally of 13,184 runs speaks for itself, and his unbeaten 140 in the 2003 World Cup final victory over India is one of the great one-day innings. But right now, he is stuck in the leanest patch of his international career, which continued on Saturday, when he edged behind as he tried to cut against the spin of Mohammad Hafeez.

Since he started at the Academy as a 16-year-old, batting has never appeared difficult for Ponting. It certainly seems to be getting harder. On Saturday at the Premadasa, he hustled to the crease with purpose, rehearsing the swing of his bat as he walked, like a boxer punching the air.

He was careful, and took eight balls to get off the mark. But he was also on the front foot, as is his style when he wishes to make a statement, and when he tried his first hook he was beaten by the bounce of Wahab Riaz, and the top edge flew high over the wicketkeeper's head to the boundary.

The shot that was once Ponting's trademark has become one of his major weaknesses, his judgment not what it was in his youth. In Bangalore on Wednesday, he was surprised by the pace of Canada's Henry Osinde, and lobbed a catch when he tried to pull.

Across all formats, Ponting has played 37 innings since he last made a hundred, against West Indies in an ODI in February last year. The only time he has gone longer without an international triple-figure score was a 43-innings stretch, starting in December 2003.

But even then, during his barren period he still found ways to contribute, and averaged 40.20 across all formats. Now, since his last century, he has averaged 28.27. It is possible to return stronger from such a drought as a young man, but as an ageing player it is much more challenging.

"I'm trying as hard as ever and I feel like I'm seeing the ball as good as ever," Ponting said after making 19 against Pakistan. "If I keep doing the right things, hopefully that big score will come for me. It's been a few games now and I certainly haven't scored the runs I would have liked to have scored in the World Cup so far, but the big games are coming up and hopefully I get some in the quarter-final."

If Ponting wishes to play on after the finals, he would be better off narrowing his focus to Test cricket, and sliding down to No. 5 or 6. It is not a dishonourable move for a captain. Allan Border ended his career down the order, and nobody thought less of him. Steve Waugh hardly ever batted above No. 5.

But Australia don't play any more Tests until August, so that is a debate for another day. For now, it's Ponting's one-day future that needs to be considered. And if he is planning to continue after the World Cup, the selectors might need to make that hard call.

Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo