Time for Ponting’s captaincy to lift

Tim Lane, writing in the Age, says Ricky Ponting is at history's crossroad.

Captains require major achievement for their regimes to be recorded as better than time-marking exercises. Under Allan Border, Australia climbed out of one of its deepest troughs. Mark Taylor took over and led the team to the mountain top. Steve Waugh's team embarked on the road less travelled. Earlier, Ian Chappell and Richie Benaud inspired their own eras. Bradman was Bradman.

In the Test arena, Ponting can scarcely claim better than a pass in five years at the helm. He inherited the leadership at a difficult time but, even taking account of that, his reign has been less than exceptional. A third series defeat inside six months would inevitably have him edging to the wrong side of history's ledger.