Hussey and Clarke put pressure on Ponting

Despite scoring 75 in the second innings in Perth, Ricky Ponting gave the rest of his team-mates a chance to catch him up in the leading Australia runscorer charts thanks to a rare failure in the first innings.

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And though he remains long odds-on to come out on top come the end of the series, the gap at the top is no longer insurmountable with Michael Hussey and Michael Clarke both snapping at his heels.

The skipper has drifted slightly to 1/6 (1.16) to be his side's leading scorer but before we get too carried away, he has already scored 524 runs, more than 100 ahead of the next man.

And to make matters worse for his rivals, Ponting averages 75 at the MCG and a whopping 84 at the SCG so backers of the Tasmanian should not be too worried.

However, Hussey and Clarke are, if not exactly snapping at his heels, then they have them in their sights after equally impressive performances in Perth. Hussey, who has 415 runs and seemingly an impregnable technique, is 4/1 (5.00), while Clarke, who has 373, is 16/1 (17.00).

Ponting has the advantage, in theory, that he comes in above the other two, giving him more time at the crease, while Clarke is the most disadvantaged, batting at five.

Beyond them, Justin Langer, who has 230, is 50/1 (51.00) but it would take something spectacular for him to get in the hunt.

Please note that odds are correct at time of publication and are subject to change.