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 before running himself out, as Australia batted first on a pitch at the Kensington Oval described as the slowest Waugh had played on. Waugh's men proceeded to take a 3–0 series, with a comfortable nine-wicket victory. Ponting missed the final Test, as Australia conceded the Test record run chase of 418; nevertheless, Ponting was still awarded the man-of-the-series award, after ending the series with 523 runs at 130.75. Ponting then scored 10 and 59 as Australia recorded comfortable innings victories in their inaugural series against Bangladesh, played in Darwin and Cairns in the tropical north of Australia in the winter