Every cricketer has some regret or the other during the course of his career.
Steve Waugh failed to conquer the final frontier -- beating India in their backyard.
The legendary Sir Don Bradman probably regretted not being able to finish his career with an average of 100 (he ended with 99.94).
And there is still a chance that Sachin Tendulkar,despite all his personal achievements, might just end up never being able to win that coveted prize of them all -- the World Cup.
Ricky Ponting will perhaps end his career with not one but two regrets.
The Australian captain is yet to win an Ashes series in England, and a Test (let alone a series) on Indian soil.
Ponting has lost successive Ashes series on English soil -- in 2005 and 2009, and considering the next one takes place in 2012, his chances of continuing as Australia's captain seem highly unlikely.
On Indian wickets, his record as a captain is abysmal, to say the least.
The 0-2 defeat in the just-concluded series meant Ponting lost five of the seven Tests he has captained on Indian soil -- the highest tally by any Australian captain. The remaining two were drawn, meaning he is yet to captain his team to a Test win in India.
He is also the first Australian captain to lose six Tests against India, the other loss coming in Perth in 2008.
Considering Australia's next tour to India will happen only after a few years, the one that finished seems, for all practical purposes, Ponting's last Test series in India, thereby implying he will have no more opportunity to improve his poor record.
He may try desperately to sound positive but deep within himself Ponting has perhaps realized the obvious -- his career will end sans series success in both England and India.
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