Performance of the Week

As I write this week's performance of the week is competing but it was his contribution earlier in the week that gives him this weeks award. If you haven't guessed it already it is Australia's Captain Ricky Ponting who is the winner after his first ever test century in India in the first test.

For me there are many judgments you can make of world class batsman. The first one is a good conversion rate of fifties to hundreds. Secondly is scoring any runs off Shane Warne and thirdly scoring big runs in India. For me most players can produce when it's sunny there's some pace in the pitch and it's flat. In India the conditions are usually against you. No matter whether it's day one or five there's always some ruff outside off-stump and its so humid to lose three stone after being out there for 30 minutes.

So Ricky Ponting's knock for me ranks up there as one of the best this year and apart from his knock at Old Trafford in 2005 the best of his career. His side were in trouble as they invariably are. He came in and held the ship steady, and as he likes to do after he reaches 20 odd start finding the boundaries. If you let Ponting surpass 15-20 thn you'll be seeing a lot of him, once this lad gets in only Sachin Tendulkar to more difficult to dismiss.

One thing that also amazes me about Ponting is that he is also the captain of his country. A country who have been the best in the world for the last 10 years. How he can lead such a massive country and still produce on a consistent individual basis. To add he is one of the best fielders in world as well.

His hundred was typical Ponting once in he started dismantling the Indian attack who had been buoyed by the early wickets. He was dispatching his pull shot, for me the best shot in world cricket, with aplomb.

In the modern age he is one of the best players right now is confidence at the crease as a batsman and as a captain is something to be admired.

His knock in India has reminded everyone what he's about and as Damian Martyn, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath hung up there boots everyone has forgotten that the jewell in the crown is still about.