Re: What will it take to defeat Australia?
^ Yes you're right there about Ponting's value to this Aussie side as a player and captain. They were probably quite exhausted after a long Ashes campaign and England nailed them just when they were a bit tired and perhaps not as focussed as before. Ponting's main focus had always been to regain the Ashes in a thumping and emphatic manner. And don't forget test matches are usu. won by the superior team while in ODIs the better team does not necessarily win. So it's all the more commendable that despite the chance and unpredictability factor of the limited over's format, the Aussies still win 82% of their one-day games. In NZ games the absence of three key players - Ponting, Gilchrist and McGrath - certainly upset their balance. Hussey's lacklustre captaincy may have also had something to do with it. I believe Michael Clarke will take over the captaincy from Ponting when he quits the game.