Team mates, opponents don''t think so, but Ponting's Test career almost over

Johannesburg, Nov.19: Though teammates and opponents are adamant that the aura is still there, but reputation alone might not be enough to keep Ricky Ponting in the Australian Test team beyond this tour.

After making a second consecutive duck in the first innings of the second Test in Johannesburg, Ponting might have just one more innings to save his career, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

In five first-class innings so far on tour, Ponting has been out lbw in almost identical fashion on four occasions.

But with his 37th birthday just around the corner, it seems as though the game might finally be up for the greatest Australian batsman since Don Bradman.

In the tour match at Potchefstroom, the two innings in Cape Town and Friday''s effort at The Wanderers, Ponting has tried to flick the ball off his pads, only to miss and be struck in front time and time again.

Since the Ashes last December, Ponting has averaged just 14.15 from 13 innings.

In that time, he hasn''t scored a half century and has seven single-figure scores and three ducks to his name.

South African spearhead Dale Steyn admits his side have discovered a weakness in Ponting''s game.

"When you get someone out three times lbw, it''s definitely a strategy we''re working on against him," said Steyn, after taking 4-64 in the first innings as Australia made 296 in reply to the home side''s 266.

"I don''t know (if he''s lost confidence). He''s a great player ... but I can tell you what we want to do when we come up against any opposition is make their first 10 to 15 balls as difficult as possible. We''ve done that with Ricky.

However, Australian assistant coach Justin Langer has indicated Ponting, regardless of his poor form with the bat, is too valuable to cut from the team at the moment.

Langer isn''t the only person in the Australian set-up with this opinion.

"Ricky is awesome to have around the team. He shows his experience. I''m sure he''ll be fine. He''ll come out the back end of that ... he''s still very confident around all the guys," said opener Phil Hughes.

Adjudicating on Ponting''s fate is the biggest decision new chairman of selectors John Inverarity will make.

For one of the all-time champions, Ponting deserves a better send-off, but given he hasn''t scored triple figures since January 2010, selectors might not be able to justify a swansong with the national team at a crossroads.

When asked before the second Test, which Australia must win to square the series, Inverarity refused to comment on Ponting''s future.

"Look, I am certainly not going to go into that. All I know is that Ricky Ponting has been, and is, a magnificent cricketer and a very resilient and decent and fine man," he said.

"We all wish him well. It''s an important game for everybody, not least for Ricky, and we all wish him luck."