Ashes pain once again
As satisfying as the last Ashes win for Ricky Ponting and his side was, 2009 was twice as bitter as they lost the 2-1 and Ponting became just the third captain to lose the Ashes twice in their tenure.
Australia were defeated in the second Test at Lords their first Test defeat at the venue since 1934.
But in positive news for Ponting, on July 31, during the Third Test at Edgbaston, the skipper became the highest Australian run-scorer in the history of Test cricket, overtaking former Australian captain Allan Border’s total of 11,174 in his first-innings score of 38.
Troubles against the short ball of fast-bowling then dotted his career before England retained the Ashes 3-1 in 2010-2011.
The beginning of the end for Ponting’s captaincy came at the 2011 World Cup, where Australia went in as red-hot favourites and the top-ranked side in the world.
But after a five-wicket loss at the hands of India in the quarter-finals, Ponting handed over the captaincy duties in both forms of the game to Michael Clarke.
Ponting continued to play at international level under Clarke before he retired from international cricket during the homes series against South Africa.
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