Captain Ricky Ponting said Australias series win over South Africa was among the best achievements of his long career. The visitors avenged their 2-1 home series defeat earlier in the year when they beat South Africa by 175 runs in the second test on Tuesday to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match encounter to decide the worlds top-ranked team.
"We have not given South Africa an inch and Im as happy as I have ever been in my career," Ponting told a news conference after the home team were bowled out for 370 on the fifth and final day at Kingsmead. "Its as special a win as Ive experienced, certainly right up there with the 5-0 Ashes comeback win (in 2006-07) and winning World Cups." The 34-year-old Ponting said he always believed his new-look squad were capable of winning in South Africa.
"A lot of people around the world thought this team wasnt capable of achieving this but I always felt the Australian summer was a lot closer than people thought and I knew we would be very competitive," he said. "Whenever you lose a couple of matches, to bounce back the way we did against a side that no one expected you to beat is always very special." Ponting singled out opening batsman Phillip Hughes, who made 75 on his debut in the first test in Johannesburg before scoring 115 and 160 in Durban, for praise.
"Its very exciting guys like Phillip have done very well right from the start," said the captain. "His temperament is absolutely marvellous. When the bowlers were coming hard at him he just had a smile on his face and he would say hes loving it. "That one-on-one contest is what test crickets all about," added Ponting. South Africa skipper Graeme Smith said his team lacked the hunger they showed Down Under.
"Weve done all the same preparation as when we won in Australia but the same intensity and execution just wasnt there," said Smith. "We never reached the same levels we did in Australia. We did not have the same levels of hunger or desperation." Smith, who was unable to bat in the second innings because of a broken finger, applauded the performance of Pontings team.
"Australia are a top-class unit who created pressure and sustained it for a long time and their individuals performed their roles very well," said the opening batsman. "We fought hard in the second innings of both tests but started indifferently with the ball in both. "We did not do enough up front in both first innings, we left ourselves with too much to do," added Smith. Australia, who won the first test by 162 runs, will bid for a clean sweep in the last match of the series in Cape Town starting on March 19.
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