Captain-elect Ricky Ponting scored an unbeaten 176 runs yesterday to put Australia in control of the second cricket test against India at the Adelaide Oval.
The home side rallied around Ponting's 19th test century to score a record 400 for five in 90 overs at stumps after skipper Steve Waugh won the toss and decided to bat first. Adam Gilchrist was unbeaten on nine.
It was only the fifth time Australia has scored 400 runs in a day in a home test.
"I can play better," said Ponting. "I can keep improving. That's one of the greatest strengths of this team. No one is ever happy with where they are as an individual or with where the team's at."
Ponting, who will take over the test captaincy when Waugh retires at the end of the current series in January, completed 1,000 runs in a calendar year for the second year in a row.
england versus sri lanka
Muttiah Muralitharan and pacer Chaminda Vaas claimed four wickets each yesterday as Sri Lanka secured an 88-run lead in its second cricket test match against England.
Spin ace Muralitharan (4 for 60) and Vaas (4 for 77) shared the spoils as England was bowled out for 294 in response to Sri Lanka's first innings total of 382.
Sri Lanka put on 39 for the loss of opener Marvan Atapattu's wicket to left-arm spinner Ashley Giles in the second innings, before bad light forced the third day's play to be stopped 55 minutes before the scheduled draw of stumps.
At close, opener Sanath Jayasuriya (25 not out) and Kumar Sangakkara (1 not out) were at the crease, with Sri Lanka having bolstered its lead to 127.
Defensive batting by both teams resulted in just 170 runs being scored in a dull day's play.
RSS