If Ricky Ponting had quit international cricket immediately after leading Australia to the 2003 World Cup triumph, he would still have been assured of a place in the Hall of Fame.

He not only smashed a decisive century against India in the final at Johannesburg, but also saw to it that Australia maintained their lofty standards despite suffering early setbacks.

Many captains would have only blamed the fate for losing two key bowlers before and during an event, but not Ponting who showed the strength of character in adversity.

He lost ace leg-spinner Shane Warne before the event following a drug-ban and then in-form Jason Gillespie to an injury after just three group matches. The setbacks only spurred his side to scale new heights.

"What does mean a lot to us is the standards that we set for our side .... they are very high, and we have reached and almost set higher standards today," Ponting said after the final.

Ponting himself led by example, scoring a hundred apiece against Sri Lanka in a group match and then against India. His Johannesburg epic eventually put the final beyond India's reach.

He was only the second captain to have slammed a century in the Cup final, the other being West Indian Clive LLoyd who did it in 1975 against Australia at the Lord's.

Ponting was also the fourth batsman to score a hundred in the final after West Indians Lloyd and Viv Richards (v England in 1979), and Sri Lankan Aravinda de Silva (v Australia in 1996).

But statistics alone do not do justice to Ponting's stature. He had to keep alive a tradition which had seen Australia grow in strength with each passing year under the captaincy of Allan Border, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh.

Ponting's biggest contribution as captain was that Australia's standards did not slip. Warne or no Warne, his side were as efficient as before, winning 11 matches in a row to emerge deserving champions.

He always backed his players and was not wrong in supporting Andrew Symonds, who responded with a vital hundred against Pakistan in a group game and a half-century against Sri Lanka in the semi-final.

Ponting's team had an aura which even the opposition recognised and respected. Australians had always been proud of wearing the baggy green and his team was no exception.

Michael Bevan, considered the best finishers in the game, summed it up nicely when he said: "It's great to be part of the Australian side like it is at the moment. You definitely feel the presence or the aura."

And Ponting was the leader who provided the finsihing touches to his team's campaign with a gem of an innings in the final.

He showed India their place, dominating the bowling with a wide range of attacking shots. Pace or spin, he was simply unstoppable as he cracked eight sixes in his 121-ball 140 not out.

Australia will again need Ponting's inspiration in the Caribbean to become the first team to win the World Cup three times in a row.

(Article: Copyright © 2007 AFP)