Ricky Ponting with the Australian cricket team in India in 2008–09 Ricky Ponting with the Australian cricket team in India in 2008–09 Ricky Ponting captained the Australian cricket team on their four Test tour of India in 2008–09. On a tour that was unsuccessful on a whole, the tourists lost the Test series 2–0 to an Indian side led by Anil Kumble and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, while they drew two warm-up matches against the Centre of Excellence (non first-class match) and Indian Board President's XI. This was Ponting's first full tour of India as captain, after previously being injured for three of the four Tests when Australia last visited in 2004.
Ricky Ponting ended the series in style, scoring 105 and 86 not out in the Third Test win in New Zealand. In his first Test series in the country, he scored 293 runs at 97.66. Australia lost to England 2–1 after starting the series as favourites. Ponting thus became the first Australian captain since Allan Border in 1986–87 to lose an Ashes series. The 2005 series was hailed as one of the great Test series, but Ponting faced significant criticism afterwards and his tenure as captain was questioned. In his defence, Ponting said that Australia had simply been outplayed and had not