User:Aaroncrick/Ricky Ponting with the Australian cricket team against India in 2007-08

However, the series against India was much harder-fought. Australia won the First Test easily, by 337 runs, but the matches thereafter were more difficult.

The Second Test was closely fought and ended in Australian victory minutes before the end of play. This saw Australia equal the world record of 16 consecutive Test wins; Ponting, was part of Steve Waugh side that set the previous record in 1999–2001. However, the cricket was overshadowed by player conduct issues. After the match ended the stadium erupted in cheering as the Indians walked off the field, and the Australians celebrated their record-equalling win, the Australians reveled in their victory, praising Michael Clarke. In an interview live at the ground, Ponting also asked Clarke to tell the commentator Tony Greig that the declaration was timed exactly right. Adam Gilchrist was also reported as asking the question, "How about that declaration, Tony Greig". The Australian Team did not shake hands with Indian Players on the field, especially Kumble who was waiting there after the fall of the final wicket. Though the Australian and Indian teams shook hands before heading into the dressing rooms later, but Kumble, who was batting at the end of the match, showed his displeasure by not shaking hands with the umpires.

India expressed their resentment by boycotting the Post-Match presentation ceremony. In the post-match press conference after the match had finished, Anil Kumble summed up his view of the game by stating, "Only one team is playing in the spirit of the game" - a statement that alluded to Australian captain Bill Woodfull's leaked private admonishment of English manager Sir Pelham Warner during the 1932/33 Bodyline series. Chetan Chauhan, India's team manager said his players were "agitated and upset by... the incompetent umpires here... [and hoped] that they will not officiate again in the series". Ponting was questioned over the wrong decision, the racism row, and especially the wicket of Ganguly during which he held his finger up to indicate to Mark Benson that Ganguly has been caught. Ponting was aggressive towards the Indian journalists, lashing out at them for "questioning my [Ponting's] integrity".

The Australian players faced much questioning as a result of the fallout of the incident. The Australian team maintained that they play hard but fair. Pace bowler Brett Lee outlined the competitive spirit in the team while Ponting insisted that the only player to have been outside the spirit of the game was on the Indian side.

In regards to the racism issue. Ponting denied he did anything wrong by singularly reporting Harbhajan Singh for being abusive. Ponting stated that he was obligated to refer any incidents of racism to officials as it is widely agreed that racism is unacceptable anywhere in the world.

"When I heard what had taken place with Andrew I immediately informed the umpires and then left the field at the end of the over to inform our team manager, which is what we are instructed to do. Making this report is not something I wanted to do but something I had to do. I had nothing to gain personally from taking this action. I was doing the right thing by the game."

After criticism of the Australian team in multiple media continued, a shocked Ponting promised to ensure that his World champion side’s conduct is not seen to be arrogant in future matches. He also said:

"I think it’s important that we sit back and look at that footage. Look at our body language. See if there are areas that we can improve on. We’ll look at some of the footage, its perception and the way people see things when they’re off the field. I might be talking to opposition players on the field but it might be construed by people watching on television that you’re in a slanging or sledging match when that’s not the case. What I want is for the Australian cricket team to be the most loved and the most respected sporting side in this country. That’s always been one of my aims and it will continue to be. One thing I’ve been conscious of over the last five years I’ve been captain is that this team is going to be recognised as one of the all-time great Australian cricket teams. But what I’ve also been conscious of is making sure the guys are remembered as being good people to go along with being great cricketers. In the last two or three seasons especially, we’ve actually started to change the perception, the way in which the public see us. There have been less (players reported). We’re ultra-conscious of how we play the game and the spirit of cricket which we all signed on to."

The Indian players released few statements about the issue. Anil Kumble wrote in his column in the Hindustan Times that Ponting was not willing to listen to his pleas that the issue should remain on the field. Kumble claimed that he knew through experience that such an allegation would have major ramifications both on and off the field. Sachin Tendulkar reportedly sent a text message to the BCCI saying "Harbhajan is innocent and I can assure you on this, but denied doing so. In this hour of crisis, the board should stand by him", but hasn't released a message to the media. Tendulkar has reportedly denied sending an SMS to Sharad Pawar. Both teams have expressed hope that this issue would not overshadow the cricket.

The English Australian journalist and former captain of Somerset County Cricket Club, Peter Roebuck, a columnist in the Sydney Morning Herald, branded Ponting as "arrogant" and insisted that be stripped of the captaincy.

""If Cricket Australia cares a fig for the tattered reputation of our national team in our national sport, it will not for a moment longer tolerate the sort of arrogant and abrasive conduct seen from the captain and his senior players," said Roebuck. "Australia itself has been embarrassed. The notion that Ponting can hereafter take the Australian team to India is preposterous. He has shown not the slightest interest in the well-being of the game, not the slightest sign of diplomatic skills, not a single mark of respect for his accomplished and widely admired opponents.""

In the early part of the Test series against India, Ponting continued to struggle against Harbhajan, falling to him three consecutive times in the first two Tests. On the third occasion, Ponting was again caught at bat pad, from the first ball that Harbhajan bowled to him, prompting the bowler to celebrate raucously.

Harbhajan missed the Third Test and upon his return in the fourth Test, Ponting broke through for his first Test century against India in matches involving Harbhajan, scoring 140. However, the second half of the series was less successful for Australia as a team; India won the Third Test, ending the Australian streak and denying Ponting a world record 17th successive win, and the Fourth Test was a high-scoring draw. The Adelaide Test aside, Ponting had an otherwise unproductive season, scoring 268 runs at 38.28.

In the Commonwealth Bank series, Ponting struggled until Australia's last round robin match against India where he and another poor performing Australian batsmen, Andrew Symonds put on a 100 run partnership with Ponting making a hundred and Symonds making 50. Australia won two of their three round robin matches against the Indians, but the tables were turned in the finals, which the tourists won 2–0.