User:Aaroncrick/Ricky Ponting with the Australian cricket team in England in 2005

2005 Ashes

Main article: 2005 Ashes series

Australia lost to England 2–1 after starting the series as favourites. Ponting thus became the first Australian captain since Allan Border in 1986–87 to lose an Ashes series. The 2005 series was hailed as one of the great Test series, but Ponting faced significant criticism afterwards and his tenure as captain was questioned. In his defence, Ponting said that Australia had simply been outplayed and had not stepped up at crucial moments in the matches. He rejected suggestions that Shane Warne should be captain in his stead.

The series began with a decisive 239-run win to Australia at Lord's, with Australia's bowlers dominating the English batsmen. England made only 155 and 180, and only Kevin Pietersen passed 50, which he did in both innings.

In the pre-match warm up before the next Test at Edgbaston, an accidental injury to Glenn McGrath, who took nine wickets at Lord's, led to his late withdrawal from the match with an ankle injury. Ponting sent England in to bat after winning the toss after the hosts' insipid batting display in the series opener, a decision widely criticised, as the pitch was ideal for batting. England immediately attacked in the absence of McGrath and seized the initiative. They posted a big first innings total of 407 in less than 80 overs on the first day, and won the game by 2 runs despite a late stumble and a near-successful run chase by bowlers Brett Lee and Michael Kasprowicz on the final day. England had the upper hand throughout the third Test at Old Trafford, where Australia needed to bat through the last day to force a draw. Ponting scored 156, the first Australian century of the series, and was dismissed only four overs from the end of the day. This left Australia nine wickets down but their final pair survived the remaining overs. In the fourth Test at Trent Bridge, Australia again batted poorly and was forced to follow-on. In the second innings, Ponting was well set on a score of 48, and England was in some difficulty due to an injury to key paceman Simon Jones, when the Australian captain was run out by a direct hit from the substitute fielder (Gary Pratt). Ponting reacted angrily, directing an abusive tirade at the English support team in the pavilion concerning the liberal use of substitutes as he walked into the Australian rooms. England had routinely used substitutes so that their bowlers could receive massages between their spells, but in this case, Pratt was on the field due to an injury to Jones, who had been taken to hospital and would go on to miss the 5th and final Test match of the series.

Ponting was later fined 75% of his match fee by the match referee.

After England won the match by three wickets after nervously chasing down a target of 128 to take a two-one lead in the series, Ponting returned to the subject of substitutes in an interview with Australian radio: "I think it's an absolute disgrace the spirit of the game is being treated like that. It is within the rules; it's just not within the spirit of the game." England coach Duncan Fletcher later commented on this incident: "He [Ponting] completely blew his top. I did not actually think it at the time but, looking back now, that might be the moment when it became clear that England were going to regain the Ashes."

Australia went on to lose the match, despite a spirited fightback with the ball on the last day. Also in this match Ponting bowled six overs, and took his first wicket since March 1999; Michael Vaughan caught behind by Adam Gilchrist. The Fifth Test at The Oval was curtailed by rain and although Australia had the English batsmen in danger on the final day, a rearguard counterattacking partnership by Kevin Pietersen and Ashley Giles on the final afternoon secure the a draw for the hosts. Thus, the Ashes were lost for the first time in 16 years.