5 Highest Test scores of Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting is one of the most successful cricketers of Australian Test cricket history. He is one of their most successful captains and captained the team in 77 Tests. During his captaincy, the team won 48 Tests, lost 16, drew 13.

Punter represented the country in 168 Tests and scored 13378 runs at a blistering average of 51.85 accompanied by 41 hundreds and 62 fifties. He is second on the list of runs scored in Test cricket, only behind India's Sachin Tendulkar.

The former Australian Skipper played a lot of brilliant knocks during his playing career. This article is dedicated to his awesomeness as we look at 5 of his highest scoring innings in Test cricket.

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#5 207 vs Pakistan, Sydney, 2005

Ponting destroyed Pakistan bowlers en route to his double-century

When Pakistan visited Australia in 2005 for a 3-Tests series, Australian team destroyed Pakistan in the first two Tests registering huge wins and winning the series. In the third and the final Test, Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first. McGill ripped through the batting lineup and the hosts could only score 304 all-out.

In reply, Ponting and Gilchrist exploded with centuries to help Australia get a huge lead of 264-runs and the hosts never looked back. Ponting finished with 207 off 332 balls, to along with 30 fours. Gilchrist finished with a quick-fire 113 off 120.

In their second innings, Pakistan managed to score 325 but the huge first-innings trail of 264 meant that the hosts only had to score 62 for the win, which the hosts did without any difficulty. McGill was awarded the Man of the Match for his 8-wickets performance

#4 209 vs Pakistan, Hobart, 2010

Ponting's 209 annihilated Pakistan

In 2010, Pakistan visited Australia for a 3-Tests series. After losing the first two Tests and conceding the series, the visitors were looking for a desperate win while the hosts wanted to continue their dominance. Ponting won the toss and chose to bat first.

The hosts lost both the openers cheaply and were struggling at 52-2. Ponting took over and scored a brilliant double-century to get the hosts back in the game. He finished with 209 off 354 balls and hit 25 fours. Australia finished with 519-8 declared.

Pakistan in their first innings got dismissed for 301 giving a huge 218-run lead to the Kangaroos. The Australians are definitely not the ones to blow such leads and they went on to win comprehensively. Punter was given the Man of the Match for his wonderful knock that gave a huge first-innings lead.

#3 221 vs India, Adelaide, 2012

Ponting's double-century helped sweep India

Ponting's love affair with India is well-known and his last century which he converted to double-century came against India. Australia clinched the series, 3-0 after three Tests in 2012 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In the forth and the final Test, Australia won the toss and chose to bat first.

The hosts were reduced to 84-3 and were in deep trouble. Ponting then went on to stitch 386-run partnership with Clarke, scoring 221 off 404, with 21 fours. Australia scored 604-7 declared.

India could not do much and failed miserably in both the innings and lost the match by a huge margin of 298 runs. Ponting was adjudged the Man of the Match for his match-saving knock that swept India.

#2 242 vs India, Adelaide, 2003

Ricky Ponting's double-ton ended in a loss for Australia

India visited Australia in 2003 for a 4-Tests series. After the first Test ended in a draw, the focus shifted to Adelaide for the second Test. In the second Test, Australia won the toss and chose to bat first. After losing Hayden with scorecard reading 22-1, Ponting, who walked in at No.3 built key partnerships with Katich and Langer to register his second double-century.

He scored 242 runs including 31 fours at a strike rate of 68.75. The hosts finished with 556 all-out. India in return scored 523, thanks to Laxman and Dravid's famous 303-run partnership to put the team in a safe position. In the second innings, Ponting was dismissed for a duck and Australia only scored 196.

The hosts chased down the target of 230 easily with Dravid and Laxman, once again shining. Dravid was presented the Man of the Match award for his game-winning innings which outshined Ponting's magnificent double-century.

#1 257 vs India, Melbourne, 2003

Ponting smashed career-high 257 against India

After a scintillating knock in the second Test of the 4-Test series against India in 2003, scoring 247 in a loss, Ponting exploded for his career-best 257, playing a match-winning knock accompanied by 25 fours. India won the toss and chose to bat first and scored 366 all-out, on the back of Sehwag's 195.

In reply, Australia went on to score 558 in their first innings because of Ponting's heroics. Anil Kumble was the pick of the bowlers with 6/176. In the second innings, India could only manage to score 286 before they got bundled out, setting a target of 95 for the hosts. Brad Williams picked up 4 wickets.

Australia chased it down without any problems and leveled the series, 1-1. Ponting was awarded the Man of the Match for his game-winning knock that gave the hosts a huge first-innings lead.