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 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