Ricky Ponting is an Australian cricketer and former captain of the Australian national cricket team. He has scored centuries (100 or more runs) on 41 occasions inTest cricket and 30 times in One Day International (ODI) matches, both of which are Australian records.[1][2] In Test matches, Ponting has scored hundreds against all Test playing countries. He is equal second with Jacques Kallis on 41 in the list of century-makers only behind Sachin Tendulkar, who has made 51 Test centuries.[3] Ponting's first Test century was achieved against England at Headingley Stadium, Leeds in 1997, when he scored 127. His highest innings is 257, scored against India in late-2003 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Ponting, among 41 centuries, has scored 6 double centuries, while his Test centuries have been made at 21 cricket grounds, including 15 at venues outside Australia. Ponting has been dismissed four times in the nineties, along with 96 on his Test debut.Ponting has scored centuries in both innings of a Test three times, equalling the record set by Sunil Gavaskar. This included a double in his 100th Test thus only becoming the only player to achieve that feat.In that match he also guided Australia to a successful run chase against South Africa on the final day.[6] In 2006, Ponting scored seven centuries, the most by an Australian in a year.
In ODIs, Ponting has scored 30 centuries against 11 opponents. He has scored centuries against all cricketing nations that have permanent One Day International status. His first ODI century was against Sri Lanka in the ninth match of the Benson & Hedges World Series, held in the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1996. His highest ODI score is 164, which he scored against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg in 2006. This propelled Australia to a new ODI world record score, although this mark lasted only a few hours before South Africa overhauled their target in the last over of the match. Ponting is second in the list of century-makers, behind Tendulkar ] Ponting has scored 12 centuries at home grounds and 16 centuries at away or neutral venues. Seven centuries were hit at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. He has been dismissed four times in the 90s.[8][9] Ponting previously held the highest score in a World Cup final with 140 not out against India in 2003, before it was broken by Adam Gilchrist in 2007.[10][11] He has scored five World Cup centuries, a record shared with Tendulkar, Mark Waugh and Sourav Ganguly.[12][13] His 145 against Zimbabwe in 1998 equalled Dean Jones' Australian record score, but this was surpassed in early-1999 by Adam Gilchrist's 154.
In September 2009, Ponting retired from Twenty20 international (T20I) cricket,[16] failing to score a century in a T20I match. However in the first International played, he hit 98 not out against New Zealand in Auckland.
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