Australia v South Africa, 2005-06

At Sydney, January 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 2006. Australia won by eight wickets. Toss: South Africa. Test debut: J. Botha.

Ricky Ponting became the first man to score centuries in both innings of his 100th Test match to set up a stunning final-day victory following a brave declaration by his opposite number. Australia were asked to score 287 in 76 overs, but Ponting's fierce counter-attack made a mockery of the equation. He thundered his way to 143 from only 159 balls, and Australia won with 15.3 overs to spare. Such was Ponting's form and confidence after his first-innings 120 that he ignored the traditional playing-in period, flicking straight deliveries off his pads through midwicket and then cutting with the certainty of a guillotine when the bowlers overcompensated outside off.

Langeveldt had bowled Langer with a peach of an inswinger in the 12th over of the innings but, on a fifth-day SCG pitch that was playing more like a third-day surface because of rain and cool conditions earlier on, that was the last piece of good news for South Africa. Ponting and Hayden added 182 with such authority and glee that the bowlers might have been insects having their legs pulled off, one by one, by a couple of mischievous eight-year-olds. Hayden eventually tired of the one-sided game and tried to deposit the debutant off-spinner Johan Botha into the stands. Instead he lofted the ball to backward point, and missed out on his 26th Test hundred.

For the first two days, though, the Australians had been under pressure, thanks mainly to a fourth-wicket stand between Kallis and Prince of 219 - a South African record against Australia. Kallis's century was his 23rd in Tests, but his first against Australia since his maiden hundred, at Melbourne eight years before. It was the third for Prince, and required far greater skill and composure than his previous efforts against Zimbabwe and West Indies. His success in dealing with Warne was a personal triumph, after perishing in eight out of ten previous innings against him.

But the pair scored at a rate that showed South Africa's desperation to compile a huge score and - partly through over-caution and partly through the belief that five sessions in the field would hurt an ageing Australian attack - they never lifted the scoring rate above three an over, which used up valuable time. Nonetheless, after Langeveldt induced both openers to play on and Nel had Hodge caught at short leg in the final over of the second day, Australia were 54 for three, and struggling.

Next morning Ponting donned his shining armour and galloped to the rescue with a display of shot-making and placement so good nobody would have believed it was merely a preview to the main show. He reached 8,000 Test runs when he had ten, and his only mistake came at 95, when he was beaten by a perfect away-swinger from Langeveldt that would have flattened middle and off had it not struck him on the pad - but umpire Aleem Dar kept the finger down. Hussey added 130 with Ponting in an important partnership, but he was also pinned by one from Nel that would - to the undisputed agreement of observers, not to mention Hawk-Eye - have hit two-thirds of the way up middle stump. Again, only Aleem Dar thought otherwise, and South Africa's coach Mickey Arthur, like Bob Woolmer a year earlier when Pakistan visited, mentioned how the Australians seemed to receive far more benefit of the doubt at home than visiting teams do. He was censured for his comments by the umpires, but referee Chris Broad did not impose a fine. It was a busy match for Broad: he reported Botha's jerky off-spinning action to the ICC, and also reprimanded Lee for disputing an appeal against Kallis.

With Australia 263 for eight, South Africa still had a comfortable lead of 188 - until Gilchrist grabbed the game by its throat. Pulling deliveries over midwicket that had no right to be treated that way, and organising the strike with singles seemingly whenever and wherever he wanted, he watched in delight as MacGill joined the rescue act. Backing away to leg as usual, MacGill could hardly believe his luck as he was served up off-stump half-volleys and long-hops, several of which disappeared to the fence, often off the edge. They put on 59, and the last wicket added 37 - of which McGrath made one - before Gilchrist feathered a flay and was caught behind. Although he said later that South Africa's lead of 92 was "still significant", Gilchrist had seen his opponents' heads drop, and knew the value of his 86.

Cover-driving imperiously, Gibbs played as fluently as anyone in the series for his 67 as South Africa sought the quick runs they had spurned in the first innings. But only 20.3 overs were possible on the fourth day thanks to persistent rain. Kallis completed a half-century on the fifth morning to set up the declaration, and a gripping run-chase was anticipated.

It was difficult to know whether South Africa's bowlers, with the burly Nel only able to deliver seven overs because of a bruised foot, simply had a very bad day. But after Smith became only the second captain to lose a Test after declaring twice - Garry Sobers was the other, for West Indies against England at Port-of-Spain in 1967-68 - one had to conclude that they were shocked into errors by the ruthless brilliance of Ponting, whose second hundred was his 28th in Tests, taking him past Allan Border and behind only Don Bradman (29) and Steve Waugh (32) for Australia.

Man of the Match: R. T. Ponting. Attendance: 114,886.