Ricky Ponting run in South Africa even in the absence of McGrath for family reasons. Ponting scored 103 and 116 in the Second Test in Durban, making it three Test centuries in consecutive innings at the ground. He ended the series with 348 runs at 58.00. Remarkably his performance at Durban meant that Ponting had scored twin centuries in three separate Tests between November 2005 and March 2006, as part of 1192 runs at 79.5 in nine matches over the same period. On 12 March 2006 Ponting scored 164 in only 105 balls in the [Fifth ODI, Australian cricket team in South
Ricky Ponting with the Australian cricket team in India in 2008–09 allowed to happen again." The barrage of Ponting's decision continued, with then Australian leading Test run-scorer (since overtaken by Ponting) saying on Fox Sports, "I don't know what to make of this. They go into the tea break on a high and come out worrying about over-rates. I am glad Ricky can't read my mind right now because he is not going to like it." Ponting later admitted that Border's comment was the one that hurt him the most, despite News Limited reporter Jon Pierik describing his captaincy as a "joke", while Malcolm Conn from "The Australian" wrote it was