Ricky Ponting the match, Ponting's batting average peaked at 59.99. The Third Test played at the WACA Ground saw another win to Australia by 206 runs to reclaim the Ashes; Ponting made 2 and 75. The 15 months they had been in English hands was the shortest period either nation had held the urn. Further wins in Melbourne and Sydney, made Ponting's team the second team (after Warwick Armstrong's Australian team in 1920–21) to win an Ashes series 5–0, and that against what had been thought to be a formidable team, the second strongest cricketing team in the world. Ponting was awarded
Ricky Ponting with the Australian cricket team in India in 2008–09 first time Ponting captained the Australians in a full Test series in India. He did not lead the Australian team to victory there in 2004–05 because he missed the first three Tests with injury. Adam Gilchrist took the Australians to a 2–1 victory. Australia, however, lost the fourth and final Test in Mumbai when Ponting returned. Nevertheless, this was Australia's first Test series win in India since 1969–70, in which Ponting made 11 and 12 on a controversial pitch. Ponting and his team were under pressure leading into the series, following the spiteful confrontations during the Indian tour of Australia