Ricky pontings brilliant hundred in 2003 icc world cup

2003 ICC world cup final match was played between Australia and India. This was the 8th edition of ICC world cup and it was held in South Africa. 15 years ago in that match, Australian legendary batsman Ricky Ponting played one of the best innings of world cup final. He scored 140 runs from 121 balls. It is one of the best individual knocks in the history of Australian cricket. This is Tanim from Frenzyweb360 and today i'm going to analyze Ricky Ponting's brilliant match winning hundred in 2003 ICC world cup final.

Ricky Ponting retired from international cricket in 2012. He was a very classy, elegant and stylish batsman. He always performed at the top order for his team. He always batted with pure class and quality. He was a sweet timer of the cricket ball. His shots were very eye catching to watch. In 375 odi matches Ponting scored 13704 run with an excellent average of 42.04. He also scored 30 odi hundreds. His odi record is truly amazing. Among those 30 hundreds this hundred was very special. Because he did it in the world cup final. This match was played at Wanderers stadium, Johannesburg. Wanderers wicket was absolutely batting Paradise. It was a very flat pitch. India's captain Sourav Ganguly won the toss and elected to ball first. Ricky ponting was Australia's captain. Two hard hitting batsmen Adam Gilchrist and Mathew Hayden opened the innings. They were very aggressive from the start. Specially Gilchrist really took on the Indian bowlers. He played some positive shots and gave his team a really good start. In the 14th over Gilchrist got out scoring 57 runs. Ricky ponting came to bat at no.3. Then Hayden also got out at the score of 125. Damien Martyn came to bat at no.3. Now let's go to the in depth analysis of ponting's brilliant knock.

When Ricky ponting came to bat Australia were in a good position. Their run rate was 6 six runs per over. Ponting was batting with temperament and sensibly. He was not playing any risky shots. He was taking single and two's on a consistence bases. Ponting picked up his first boundary in the 23rd over against the bowling of Srinath. He played a nice pool shot with perfect timing through square leg. On the other hand, Martyn was batting well and hit some fours. Ponting reached to his fifty in the 39th over. He scored his fifty from 74 balls. In the same over ponting hit two back to back sixes against the bowling of Harbajan Singh. He came down the track and played a beautiful lofted on drive over cowcorner. In the next bowl he again came down the track and played a tremendous lofted on drive over cowcorner. This time the ball traveled very far into the crowd. With that two sixes he unleashed his hard hitting game.

 

Ricky ponting was a classy and stylish batsman. But he also had some hard hitting ability. And in this match he really showed his hard and clean ball striking ability. Australia were 250/2 in 40 overs. So they were in a commanding position. In the 41st over Nehra bowled a juciey full toss and ponting played an extraordinary slog sweep over deep square leg for his 3rd six of the innings. In the next over he used his fit and played an outstanding lofted on drive for a huge six over long on. In the 45th over ponting played a glorious lofted straight drive against Zaheer khan. It was his 2nd four. In the next bowl Zaheer bowled a full toss on ponting's pad and he played an amazing lofted flick shot over cowcorner for his 5th six of the innings. The commentators said that it was his best shot of the innings. Really it was a great shot. He reached to his hundred from 103 balls. It was his 13 th odi hundred. After scoring hundred ponting became very dangerous. His 6th six was a slog over cowcorner. In the 49th over Zaheer khan bowled a short pitch bowl and he played a terrific pool shot over deep mid wicket. In the last over he played a good sweep shot through mid wicket to pick up his 3rd four. In the 2nd last ball of the innings ponting played an outstanding lofted on drive over long on and hit his 8th six. That was his last six of the innings. In the last ball he just lofted the ball over short fine leg and picked up his 4th four of the innings. Australia scored 359/2 in 50 over. They scored 109 runs in the last 10 overs. Ricky ponting remained unbeaten scoring 141 runs off 121 ball with an excellent strike rate of 125.70. He hit 8 sixes and 4 fours.

 

Really it was a special knock played by Ricky Ponting. Scoring hundred in world cup final is very special. It was captain's knock from Ponting. He was at his best probably the biggest match of his career. India's bowling was very strong. Their bowlers did a great job to help India reach final. They had bowlers like Ashish Nehra, Shrinath, Harbajan Singh and Zaheer. Ponting dominated all these bowlers. He batted very smartly. He did not take any risk in the middle overs. His intention was to stay till the end so that he could play big shots in the slog overs and that's what he did. He scored his fifty from 74 balls. After fifty it took him only 29 balls to get to his hundred. After hundred he played 18 balls and scored 40 runs. So his acceleration rate was perfect and it was his batting strategy. He used his fit brilliantly against the spin bowlers. Using fit was the best option against the Indian spinners. Lofted on drive was his most productive shot. He played that shot very well and hit some massive sixes. He middled the ball perfectly and his timing was absolutely spot on. It was a historical innings. The Australian cricket fans really enjoyed and got entertained. Because of ponting's brilliant hundred Australia won the match by 125 runs and also won their 3rd ICC world cup. That day ponting become the Nation's hero. It is one of the best knocks of ICC world cup.