| | | | | opening day at the Chinnaswammy stadium.. |
| SHIVNARINE WINS COVETED TITLE | | | | |
| | | | | Ponting elected to take the strike first after winning |
| He totally deserves it. Shivnarine Chanderpaul has | | | | the toss, put on 166 for the second wicket with |
| been crowned as ICC Player of the Year, namely for | | | | Simon Katich. Left handed Katich scored 66. Ponting |
| his patience, but mostly for the inspiration and hope, | | | | added 60 for the third wicket with Michael Hussey |
| he provides for Caribbean cricket and her | | | | (46 not out) before he was trapped lbw by |
| supporters.Quite how Dale Steyn beat him to the | | | | Harbhajan Singh. It was the ninth time the Australian |
| test awards elude me. | | | | Captain has fallen to the off-spinner. |
| | | | | |
| Steyn is Test Player of the Year | | | | Ponting set aside a disappointing average of 12.28 in |
| | | | | eight previous Tests in India to compile his 36th |
| In 2008, Chanders has batted 13 times in Tests, | | | | career Test century, just three behind record holder |
| against South Africa, Sri Lanka and Australia, the | | | | Sachin Tendulkar. |
| three strongest attacks in the game, remaining | | | | |
| unbeatable on six occasions, each of which he tallied | | | | There was no time that Ponting looked more like the |
| at least 65. He passed 50 eight times, and averages | | | | batsman who has dominated attacks everywhere in |
| 101. In South Africa his series average was 82.33. | | | | the world but India than when he brought up his half |
| Against the Aussies he averages 147, scoring one | | | | century with a classic cover drive. |
| fewer 50 plus. | | | | |
| | | | | Ponting celebrated his first century in India while |
| Ponting ends his drought and improves his average | | | | completing his third run before raising his bat in |
| | | | | triumph. Not only had he kept his vow of improving |
| After the first-over dismissal of Matthew Hayden for | | | | his average in India, but he had also broken a record. |
| a duck, Ricky Ponting and Simon Katich foughtback | | | | The century was Ponting’s16 as Captain, he was |
| on day one of the first Test. Ponting ended his | | | | previously tied with Steve Waugh and Allan Border |
| drought on Indian soil with a superb 123 to steer the | | | | on 15. |
| tourists to a comfortable 254 - 4 by stump on the | | | | |