Ponting before Australia or Australia before Ponting?

At 37, most athletes are entering the last leg of their sporting careers. Not Ricky Ponting. Apart from his grit and determination to excel, his aging body ought to be asking for a break. Question though is if his team can afford to relent to his body's needs.

With an 'out of the blue' humiliation against Sri Lanka at Sydney on Friday, the Australians find themselves cornered despite beginning the tri-series on a high. There is India above looking to milk what is being called a rotation policy and extend their slender lead having beaten both Australia and Sri Lanka. And then there are the Lankans who have stolen seven points from the chars of the series.

With no Michael Clarke in the side, it is not that there is a paucity of players who may lead the national team. David Warner was a name doing the rounds even before Ponting was finalised. And now with coach Mickey Arthur himself admitting that Ponting needs a break, Warner may seem obvious as an option under consideration.

The CB series though is on tenterhooks presently. If it's a chance for redemption for India and an opportunity to prove a point against all odds for Sri Lanka, for Australia, the series is a matter of pride which comes from winning a series at home.

Sydney Morning Herald quoted Ponting as saying after his team's loss to Sri Lanka that he is not pleased with his form. Arthur seemed to agree when he said: Every cricketer's currency is performance, that's what gets you into the Australian team.

So while the Australians are one of the better exponents of bench-strength, talented youngsters and crafty strategies, the team itself is at crossroads when the matter is about a certain man who answers to the nick-name of Punter. Resting him would be a gamble that can pay double dividends - rest for a veteran so he may come back stronger and a talented replacement till then. It can also spring back and hit the team like a double-edged sword if the present slide continues to end in an India-Sri Lanka final.