A lot of highs, few lows

	Ricky Ponting's 164 in Johannesburg in 2006 was his best ODI score, but was overshadowed by South Africa chasing down Australia's 434 © Getty Images Enlarge
Related Links News : Ponting confirmed for Ryobi Cup final Features : A triumph-filled career Players/Officials: Ricky Ponting Teams: Australia Gallery: Three World Cups, 30 tons and many memories

February 15, 1995
Ponting makes his one-day international debut at the age of 20 and scores 1 against South Africa in Wellington.

January 9, 1996
Scores his first ODI century, 123 against Sri Lanka in the tri-series at the MCG.

February-March, 1996
Plays in the first of his five World Cups. Scores a century against West Indies in Jaipur and 45 in the final loss to Sri Lanka in Lahore, and finishes second to Mark Waugh on Australia's run tally.

December 1997-January 1998
Tops the run tally in the tri-series against South Africa and New Zealand with 462 at 57.75 and helps Australia win the tournament with 76 in the third final. It is his best tally in a series excluding World Cups.

May-June 1999
Plays in his first World Cup triumph. Is a consistent contributor without posting a defining score. Finishes with 354 runs at 39.33 but only one half-century: against South Africa, in the match when Steve Waugh supposedly told Herschelle Gibbs he had dropped the World Cup.

February 2002
Succeeds Steve Waugh as Australia's ODI captain. His first series in charge is on a tour of South Africa. Australia win the series 5-1 and Ponting tops Australia's run tally with 283 at 47.16. He is named Player of the Series.

February-March 2003
Leads Australia's successful World Cup campaign in South Africa. His score of 140 not out in the final against India is the defining innings of his ODI career.

January 10, 2005
Captains the ICC World XI to a comprehensive victory over the Asia XI in the Tsunami Appeal one-day international at the MCG. Scores 115 and is named Man of the Match.

October 2005
Captains Australia to a 3-0 victory over the ICC World XI in the Super Series.

March 12, 2006
Makes his highest ODI score, a breathtaking 164 from 105 balls in Johannesburg. But his innings is quickly overshadowed: South Africa chase down Australia's 434 for 4 in what is arguably the most remarkable one-day international of all time.

November 2006
Leads Australia to Champions Trophy glory in India, thereby winning the only competition that had eluded Australia so far.

January-February 2007
Follows Australia's Ashes whitewash by being named Player of the Series in the three-team Commonwealth Bank Series, but England win the tournament.

	Ponting captained Australia to their third consecutive World Cup title in 2007 © AFP Enlarge

March-April 2007
Leads Australia to a hat-trick of World Cup wins, his second as captain, with an undefeated run during the competition in the West Indies. Finishes third on the tournament run tally behind Matthew Hayden and Mahela Jayawardene with 539 at 67.37.

September 2009
Arrives in South Africa after a disappointing tour of England and successfully leads Australia to another Champions Trophy triumph. Ponting is named Player of the Series for his 288 runs at 72.00.

February 2010
Earns his final Player-of-the-Series title in Australia's 4-0 win at home over West Indies, having scored 295 runs at 73.75.

March 19, 2011
Ponting's 34-match unbeaten streak in World Cups is brought to an end as Pakistan win by four wickets in Colombo.

March 24, 2011
India prevail in an exciting quarter-final in Ahmedabad, knocking out Australia but Ponting overcomes a poor run and criticism about his captaincy to score a determined century. It is his last ODI hundred.

March 29, 2011
Amid increasing pressure, Ponting steps down as Australia's Test and ODI captain but makes himself available for selection with an intention to play on.

February 20, 2012
Is dropped from Australia's one-day squad after five consecutive single-figure scores in the Commonwealth Bank Series. Finishes with 375 ODIs and 13,704 runs to his name.