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 with the Australian cricket team in India in 2008–09 insignificance besides trying with every power at his disposal to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. There was a match to win. To an almost bizarre degree, Ponting lost the plot." "Over 131 years, 404 men have been accorded to the honour of wearing the baggy green cap, arguably the most significant and recognizable symbol in Australian team sport," wrote Australian Broadcasting Corporation's (ABC) Glenn Mitchell. "Many today would have hung their head in sadness while others would have turned and in their grave. What happened today in Nagpur was at odds with team sport is all about. May it never be