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 award, before praising his young side for the title defence. Australia proceeded to tour India for seven ODIs starting in mid-October and ending in early November. In the opening match, Ponting top-scored for Australia with 74 from 85 balls, as his team narrowly escaped defeat. Ponting made just 12 in India's comprehensive victory in the second match, while he scored a slow 59 from 93 balls (four boundaries) in another Indian victory in the third match. The Australian captain stuck a more fluent innings of 52, scored in 59 deliveries in the following fixture. Australia amassed their biggest total of