RICKY Ponting answered his army of critics today with a fine century to help champions Australia post a competitive total of 260-6 in their World Cup quarter-final against India.
The 36-year-old Ponting, who will likely see his nine-year reign as one-day skipper end should his defending champions lose in Ahmedabad, made a composed 104 off 118 balls after he won the toss and elected to bat.
Opener Brad Haddin hit 53 while the recalled David Hussey pitched in with an unbeaten 38 off 26 balls.
Ponting’s hundred, which featured a six and seven fours, was his first in 39 international innings since he made 106 against the West Indies in a one-dayer in Brisbane last year.
The captain, who’d managed just 102 runs at 20.4 in five previous innings this tournament, had come into the match amidst reports he could be quitting international cricket completely after the World Cup.
Spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuvraj Singh took four wickets between them with left-arm quick Zaheer Khan taking the other two to fall.
When India bat, Sachin Tendulkar will need one more century to complete a hundred international tons.
But just as defeat could trigger the end of Ponting’s reign, a loss would leave the Indian superstar without a world title and, at 38, he is unlikely to play in the 2015 edition.
Tendulkar moved to 99 centuries (51 in Tests and 48 in one-day internationals) with a majestic innings of 111 in his side’s group match against South Africa.
“He keeps it really simple,” said India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. “He doesn’t look at the milestones that are coming up for him.”
Meanwhile, Pakistan coach Waqar Younis said he is relishing the prospect of playing the last two matches in India to win the World Cup as his team continued its ruthless march.
Pakistan, led from the front by inspirational captain Shahid Afridi, crushed the West Indies by 10 wickets in Dhaka yesterday to advance to their first semi-final since 1999.
Waqar said it would be “awesome” if Pakistan was to play India for a place in the final at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on April 2.
