Ponting had made 19 when he edged a ball from off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez to wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal in the 19th over of the innings in Saturday's game at the R. Premadasa stadium.
When on-field umpire Marias Erasmus gave the Australian captain not out, the decision was reviewed and overturned.
Ponting admitted he knew he had edged the ball.
"There were no doubts about the nick, I knew I hit it, but as always I wait for the umpire to give me out. That's the way I've always played the game," he said.
Ponting's admission came just a day after a similar controversy in Mumbai when Sri Lanka vice-captain Mahela Jayawardene and Kiwi off-spinner Nathan McCullum clashed over a 'clean' catch.
McCullum took a brilliant, one-handed diving catch off Jaywardene but TV umpire Amish Saheba was called in and he ruled it not out.
New Zealand's stand-in skipper Ross Taylor said it would make things easier if batsmen were to take the word of the fielder in such situations.
"It depends upon the person. You look at (South Africa batsman) Jacques Kallis. He asks the fielders if they caught it cleanly and he trusts the words of the fielders," said Taylor.
"You put it up to the batsman to make the decision and at the end of the day you just hope the technology is right and if the technology is not right, well then don't use it."
Jayawardene went on to make 66 and shared a vital 145-run stand with captain Kumar Sangakkara (111) to set up Sri Lanka's comprehensive 112-run win.
The former Sri Lanka skipper was adamant he was right to stand his ground.
"If I felt it was a clean catch, I would have walked," said Jayawardene. "It was a 50-50 thing and it was fair it went to the TV umpire."
Walk? Not me, says Ponting
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