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Ponting ends century drought

Ahmedabad - Australia captain Ricky Ponting scored his first international century in over a year as the champions made 260 for six against India in the Cricket World Cup quarter-final on Thursday.

The star batsman's 104 was his first hundred in 39 international innings since he made 106 against the West Indies in a one-day international in Brisbane last year.

Ponting, who'd managed just 102 runs at 20.4 in five previous innings this tournament, had come into the match amidst reports he could be quitting international cricket completely after the World Cup.

However, the 36-year-old Tasmanian, bidding to become the first man to win the World Cup three times as captain, demonstrated his enduring class in a 118-ball innings featuring a six and seven fours.

He was out late on when, he reverse-swept Ravichandran Ashwin straight to Zaheer Khan at short third man.

David Hussey, recalled in place of the dropped Steven Smith, made a useful 38 not out and helped Ponting add 55 for the sixth wicket after Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey and Cameron White all fell cheaply.

Back-up spinners Ashwin and Yuvraj Singh took four wickets between them with left-arm quick Zaheer taking the other two to fall.

But lead off-spinner Harbhajan Singh's 10-wicketless overs cost 50 runs.

Australia's total, where the next best score was opener Brad Haddin's 53, put the pressure on India whose batting talisman Sachin Tendulkar needs just one more century for an unprecedented hundred international hundreds.

Ponting survived lbw appeals on 86 from Zaheer Khan and on 91 from old adversary Harbhajan, a particularly strong shout.

But as India had used up both their reviews, there was no comeback against the umpires' not out verdicts

Together with Haddin, Ponting shared a second-wicket stand of 70.

Australia, after winning the toss and making India field in the heat of the day, got off to a steady start through openers Shane Watson and Haddin.

Whenever one of the duo struck a boundary it reduced an otherwise noisy capacity crowd to near silence.

But a change of ends for Ashwin had them roaring again when he bowled Watson for 25 after the all-rounder was beaten by the turn as he attempted a violent slog-sweep.

Soon after Ponting came to the crease he appeared to exchange words with Harbhajan before umpire Ian Gould intervened.

Wicketkeeper Haddin completed a 57-ball fifty by sweetly striking Munaf Patel through midwicket for his sixth four.

But soon afterwards he gave his wicket away by driving Yuvraj to mid-off where Suresh Raina took a low, tumbling catch to leave Australia 110 for two.

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