Could Ricky Ponting be the best Australian batsman since Sir Donald Bradman? While there may never be a definitive answer to such a subjective question, Ponting is mounting a strong case for consideration.
The Australian captain on Monday became just the second Test cricketer to score centuries in both innings of a Test match on three occasions, equalling the record of Sunil Gavaskar. But unlike the Indian maestro, Ponting has achieved the feat in a single season, starting from Australia's first Test against the West Indies at the Gabba.
Combined with fellow centurion Matthew Hayden (102), Ponting's 116 guided Australia to 4(dec)-307 before tea on day four, leaving South Africa the unlikely target of 410 for victory.
It has been an extraordinary, almost Bradman-like, period for Ponting, who has scored 1238 runs since last year's Ashes series and 557 in three Tests this year. He has notched seven centuries and five half-centuries dating back to the SuperTest, including four from just three Tests in 2006. His average, meanwhile, has reached an astonishing 58.14.
Ponting moved past Bradman to hold outright fifth place on the all-time Test century-makers list, reaching his 30th ton as Australia took a stranglehold on the second Test. His efforts were in stark contrast to his scratchy 103 in the first innings, and were somewhat assisted by some curious groundskeeping at Kingsmead.
The South Africans must have felt jinxed. With Australia already well in command of the second Test, the home side was informed that the Kingsmead curator had made illegal improvements to the pitch overnight, thereby favouring the Australian batsmen in the first session.
Head curator Wilson Ngobese initially denied he had repaired a portion of the wicket at the Elangeni end of the ground when confronted by match referee Chris Broad. But after Ponting made a similar query regarding the portion of the pitch on a good length, Ngobese admitted to making the repairs. He was immediately ordered to remove the additional soil at the lunch break.
If the plan had been to favour the South African side batting last, it failed. The Australian duo of Ponting and Hayden were the only batsmen to benefit from the pitch alteration, blasting 91 runs in the first session to take the visitors to 1-216 and an overall lead of 318. For the first time in recent memory, a pitch had been "doctored" to favour the visiting side.
Not that Ponting seemed in need of further assistance. In an attacking mood from the outset of play on Monday, Ponting guided his side within sight of a series-clinching victory. His situation was poles apart from that of home captain Graeme Smith, who entered the second innings on a "king pair", having been dismissed by Brett Lee from the first ball of South Africa's first innings. Lee finished with five wickets and was presumably buoyant in the knowledge that he would begin the second innings on a hat-trick.
- ALEX BROWN