Sydney, March 25 : 'Triumph of a Tragic Hero: Battered Ponting Exits World Cup With 'Innings Of a Lifetime' was the header given by Sydney Morning Herald as it narrated the heroic effort by the Australian skipper in the quarter-final match of World Cup, which he lost to India by five wickets.
Commentators and cricket fans have been baying for the blood of Ricky Ponting, but overnight, many praised the captain for playing "an innings of a lifetime" and his "sheer Aussie single mindedness".
Cricinfo compared Ponting to country singer Johnny Cash, who, in his later years, stripped back his music to focus on his voice.
Former spinner Shane Warne wrote on Twitter about Ponting's recent string of poor performances: "Last thought - form temporary - class permanent !!!!", while former England captain Michael Vaughan tweeted: "Outstanding innings from Ricky.. That will shut a few up.."
In England, Ponting's ton was compared to the century he struck against India in the 2003 World Cup final.
"What a performance. Just stop for a second and think about what Ponting has achieved here," The Guardian said in its live commentary during the game.
"This is a staggering display of mental strength from one of the all-time greats. Never, ever write him off."
But the avalanche of compliments for Ponting did not stop former Australian great Ian Chappell from calling for a new captain.
"I thought all along that this summer was it for Ricky Ponting as captain," he told Cricinfo after the match.
"I felt that the end of the Ashes was the right time for him to finish with the Test captaincy. They were ... quite right to let him defend his title at the World Cup, but now it's time ... you got to have a new team.
"Not much point having the same captain with a different team. Different team, new captain."
At a press conference after the five-wicket defeat, Ponting stressed that he would continue as an international cricketer despite Australia's early exit from the tournament.
"Didn't I answer that question the other day? Nothing's changed," he said.
"It's a bit premature to say it was the end of an era for Australian cricket, it was a pretty good game tonight.
"I didn't think we were far away from winning a game against a very good Indian team on their home soil. I think it's a bit too early to say it's the end of an era."
When an Indian journalist asked the 36-year-old if he saw himself as a "tragic hero", Ponting said he didn't have an answer.
"But probably this is my last World Cup match and I am happy to have scored a century," Indian website Sify.com quoted him as saying. "I am not a stats man, but probably after I hang up my boots I will look into it."
