Top 5 Test centuries in a losing cause

3. Ricky Ponting 242 vs India (Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Adelaide, 2003)

Ricky Ponting

This was another double hundred at Adelaide that went in vain. This test match, which saw Irfan Pathan make his debut, also witnessed the classy and famous double ton that Dravid scored and the second 300-plus run stand between Dravid and Laxman (148), when India were batting in reply to the Aussie 1^st innings total of 556, that aided in India to turn the match on its head after Australia were in the driver’s seat by the afternoon of the second day having put up 500-plus runs.

Ponting hit 31 fours for his double ton. He took full advantage of the batting conditions, the small boundary and the sluggish bowling. He got the largest portion of his runs against Kumble, to whom he eventually got out after scoring 242, edging one to man of the match Dravid in the slips. Ponting took the crease at 22/1, and was there till the last run was scored. He was part of 7 partnerships, 5 of which yielded more than 50, 2 of those being worth more than 100 runs.

Australia started their 2^nd innings before lunch on day 4, and were all out before the day was over owing to some inspiring bowling by Agarkar, who took 6/41 in his 16 overs, leaving 233 runs for India to get. Dravid once again was top scorer with 72 and he was the one who hit the winning runs as India got the required runs on the last day to complete a historic win.