MELBOURNE, 31 January 2003 — Ricky Ponting scored a career-best 257 and then 31 not out to guide Australia to a nine-wicket victory in the third Test against India yesterday as Australia leveled the four-match series one-all.

Set 95 to win, Australia reached 97 for one as man of the match Ponting swept a boundary to fine leg 21 minutes before lunch on the fifth day’s play.

Australia’s hopes of regaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy now rest with the fourth Test in Sydney starting on Friday, which will also be captain Steve Waugh’s farewell match. India paceman Ajit Agarkar struck an early blow by trapping opener Justin Langer (2) leg before wicket with the total on nine in the fifth over of the morning.

However, Matthew Hayden hit nine fours in his unbeaten 53 to take the tension out of the match for Australia.

Waugh, 38, the most-capped player in Test history and the game’s most successful captain, led his side on a farewell lap of Melbourne Cricket Ground before a crowd of 29,262, boosted by a decision by officials to offer free entry on the last day.

“Yes the stage is set for Sydney. I’m looking forward to it, it’s all been very positive,” Waugh told a news conference.

Waugh said it was hard to separate Hayden (136 and 53 not out) and Ponting as Australia’s best batsman.

“They’re getting people to watch Test match cricket,” Waugh said.

Paceman Brad Williams took four for 53 to help bowl India out for 286 at the close of the fourth day’s play on Monday at Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Rahul Dravid scored a defiant 92 in India’s second innings on Monday before expressing his disappointment that the tourists could not put another hundred runs on the board. Dravid, who dominated India’s victory in the second Test in Adelaide earlier this month by making 233 and 72 not out, put on 87 for the third wicket with Sachin Tendulkar (44) and another 93 runs with captain Saurav Ganguly (73).

Australia took control of the Test when Ponting batted for almost 10 hours to anchor Australia’s first innings of 558 in reply to India’s 366.

Ponting, who also made a double-century in the second Test, put on 234 for the second wicket in Australia’s first innings of the third Test with Hayden (136).

India spinner Anil Kumble bowled 51 overs, taking 6-176.

But, the match belonged to Ponting, who became the first player since Australia’s Don Bradman in the 1930 Ashes series in England to score three double-centuries in a calendar year.

Ganguly Shields Tendulkar

From Test Pressure

India captain Saurav Ganguly put himself into bat at number four in the third Test against Australia in an attempt to ease the pressure on top batsman Sachin Tendulkar, he said yesterday.

Tendulkar has failed to make an impact against Australia, who beat India by nine wickets in Melbourne to level the four-match series 1-1.

Late on the third day’s play, India were 19 for two in their second innings and Ganguly sent himself out instead of Tendulkar, who normally bats at number four.

“It’s not the best time to bat, for those last four or five overs, when you haven’t got runs in the last two or three innings,” Ganguly told a news conference.

Tendulkar, India’s second-leading run-scorer, made his Test debut at 16 and has shouldered an enormous burden of expectation throughout his career, which has included 31 centuries.