When Ricky Ponting trudged off MA Chidambaram Stadium after his last Test innings in India, having scored 17 runs for the series at the humiliating average of 3.4, one of Australia's finest batsmen was at the crossroads of his career.

Blessed with rare ability, Ponting, 26, had become hypnotised by the off-spin of Harbhajan Singh, failing miserably and prompting fears that his truly prodigious talent might never be fully realised.

Lesser men would have fallen in a heap after such a nightmarish three-Test tour but Ponting is a free spirit and dwelling on past disappointments is not his style.

He saved a little face with 137 runs at 34 in the one-dayers against India then returned home, ignoring his bat and doing the things he enjoys most away from cricket - playing golf off a single-figure handicap and having a punt.

Five weeks later, Ponting arrived in England fresh and now, following two innings of uncommon class in Australia's tri-series wins over Pakistan and England, his potentially great career is back on the right track.

Australia leads the series after reaching 5-269 to beat England (4-268) with just three balls to spare at the County Ground in Bristol today thanks largely to Ponting thumping 102 from 116 balls.

That innings came one day after he hammered 70 off 68 balls in Australia's seven-wicket triumph over Pakistan at Cardiff.

"I can't really remember much about India at the moment," Ponting said.

Little wonder, but his batting against Pakistan firebrands Shoaib Akhtar and Waqar Younis at Cardiff, and against England will not be forgotten in a hurry.

Ponting is similar in stature and style to carefree Doug Walters - without the smoking - and like all those with a natural attacking gift, too much practice can have a detrimental effect.

Free time between the tours of India and England was a god-send.

"I put India in the back of my mind during the six-week break at home," he said.

"I tried to have a good break - only had a couple of hits before we came away.

"We've worked hard since we've been here so it's not a bad thing for me to have had a break.

"The more batting, practice-wise, the worse it is for me."

Ponting was hitting the ball so well in both Australian triumphs that whoever occupied the other end - Mark Waugh, Damien Martyn, Michael Bevan - did little more than support his headline act.

He started slowly against England, making only two from his first 19 balls, but he decided enough was enough and dispatched Alan Mullally about six rows back near the player's pavilion.

He was run out when Andrew Symonds rejected his offer of a second run, but Steve Waugh and Ian Harvey secured the win with three balls up their collective sleeve.

"I was a bit disappointed," said Ponting.

"I wanted to be there at the end but I just got caught a bit short.

"There probably wasn't two in it but at that stage of the game we had to start putting pressure on the English fielders.

"I made a good turn and started coming back and Symmo had his back turned."

The look of frustration as he marched off was similar to the expression he wore at MA Chidambaram Stadium but this time, instead of feeling sorry for him, his team-mates and the crowd were standing and applauding.

Australia has a three-day break before its next tri series limited overs match against England at Manchester on Thursday.

© 2001 AAP