Australian captain key to Ashes success

If Australia are to win the Ashes again this summer, then captain Ricky Ponting is likely to play a big part with both bat and tactical nous.

One of the most dominant batsmen of his generation, Ponting now averages a mighty 56.50, with 22 hundreds and 27 fifties in his 88 Tests. More worryingly for England fans is that in his past 20 matches, his average is a huge 74.24 with five hundreds and 10 fifties. Of those 20, Australia have lost just twice, with 14 wins and four draws.

It's a common theme with the present bunch of Australians that they barely know what it's like to lose to England - and Ponting is no different. He's finished on the losing side just three times in his 16 matches against the old enemy. However, unlike many of his colleagues, his performances against England are actually a little down on his overall averages. In those 16 matches, he averages "just" 41, and it's just over 44 in his eight Tests in England. Moreover, England may be hoping that Ponting is distracted by the fact that this will be his first Ashes series as captain of his country.

With Ponting, the common perception is that you have to get him early or he'll make you pay, and the statistics bear that out. In his 143 innings, he has been dismissed 31 times for between 1 and 10, 21 times between 11 and 20, and 23 times between 21 and 30. Therefore, in just over half of his innings, he fails to get beyond 30. Considering that his average is 56.50, it shows you how he goes on once he's settled in.

This is partly because, batting at No 3, he is often exposed to the new ball. But part of this is also down to concentration and, unfortunately for England at least, it appears that his concentration is improving. In his last 36 innings, he has been dismissed before 30 on just 15 occasions, and of those, he's fallen just five times before reaching 10.

For anyone looking to back Ponting on an individual match basis, it is a shame that Headingley has been dropped from the Test rota: the Yorkshire ground has been his happiest hunting ground in his eight matches in England. Ponting has smashed 343 runs in two matches there at an average of 114, but elsewhere it's fairly disappointing. At The Oval, traditionally a good pitch to bat on, he averages 40.66 in two Tests, but at Trent Bridge, it falls to 21.25 in two Tests. In his one Test appearance at Lord's, venue for the opening Test, his average is just nine, and at Edgbaston, it's only 11.

It will be worth keeping an eye on the kind of market the bookies set for Ponting in terms of overall performance because, although he does not bowl, he is an excellent slip-fielder, having taken 103 catches in his 88 Tests.