Ricky Ponting: The Career that was - In Pictures

Loved by many, hated by many, but respected by all – that’s Ricky Ponting‘s career in short for fans all over the world.

From Punter’s very first Test match to his recent, tragic dismissal against South Africa, let’s look at the great man’s undeniably breath-taking career in visual detail:

96 on Test debut in 1995 against Sri Lanka, missing out on a hundred due to a ‘dubious’ lbw decision

Just the right start – maiden century in 1997 Ashes brings victory for Australia by an innings and 61 runs.

Glory in 1999 – First World Cup win. Ponting scored 354 runs at 39.33.

His 140* (121) in 2003 World Cup Final was a complete demolition of the Indian attack

Scored 257 against India at MCG, his highest Test score – Along with his 242 in the previous match at Adelaide and 206 against West Indies later, he would become the 2nd player after Don Bradman to score three double hundreds in a year

2005 Ashes – Run out by substitute Gary Pratt, Ponting walks off the field, just before mouthing expletives at England coach Darren Fletcher on reaching the boundary. Ponting scored 359 runs at 39.88, becoming the 1st Australian captain to lose Ashes since Allan Border in 1986/87.

2007 World Cup – Winners in near darkness – Becomes the 2nd captain to win 2 World Cup titles

2009 Ashes – Loses the urn, again. Becoming only the third Australian captain to lose the Ashes twice.

And again. Australia loses the Ashes at home in 2010/11. Ponting becomes the first captain since Billy Murdoch in 1890.

Australia defeated, finally – 2011 World Cup loss ends his reigns of the ODI team.

Embarrassing dismissals lead to finally Punter bidding goodbye.