Ricky Ponting Waugh's retirement at the beginning of 2004 following the drawn home series against India, Ponting assumed the Test captaincy. Since 1997 the Australian team has not always had the same captain for Tests and for ODIs, with Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh being dropped from the ODI team whilst still the Test captain. Ponting started with a 3–0 clean sweep of the Test series in Sri Lanka. Ponting brought Symonds into the Test team on the back of strong ODI form, rather than first-class cricket, replacing Simon Katich, who had scored a century and unbeaten fifty in the last Test.
Ricky Ponting first class debut for the county. Ponting scored an unbeaten 169 against Nottinghamshire in his final first class innings, ensuring his team held on for a draw. During the Ashes 2013, Ponting wrote a regular column for the Daily Mail. At the formal opening of the Bellerive Oval redevelopment in January 2015, it was announced that the new Western Stand would be named the "Ricky Ponting Stand" in his honour. On December 9, 2015 Ponting also unveiled a bronze statue placed at the ground in his honour. Ponting was known as an aggressive competitor, as manifested in his on-field conduct.