By IANS,
London : Australian captain Ricky Ponting Friday became the highest Australian Test run scorer in history.
Ponting passed Allan Border’s former record of 11,174 runs during the first innings in the third Test against England at Edgbaston and is now third on the all time Test run scorer list behind Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara, with 12,773 and 11,953 Test runs, respectively.
The Australian skipper celebrated his milestone, which came up with a clip off his legs for three, by waving his bat to all parts of the Edgbaston ground.
Cricket Australia (CA) congratulated Ponting on his feat.
CA Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland said it was fitting that Ponting had achieved the milestone in an Ashes series in England.
“I have heard Ricky talk about being inspired to win the right to wear the baggy green when, as a kid, his uncle, Tasmanian fast bowler Greg Campbell, was chosen to tour England in 1989,” Sutherland said in a statement.
“He is now on his fourth tour to England and while I know personal records are not an interest for him, I also know cricket fans everywhere will celebrate this milestone as a worthy achievement by this extraordinary cricketer.”
Border, a former captain and current CA director, praised Ponting as a worthy holder of the new Australian Test run scoring record.
“Clearly, I am a great admirer, having been involved in Ricky’s selection in many great Australian sides, and having enjoyed watching him closely on more occasions than I can remember as a cricket media commentator as well,” Border said.
“It is not just the number of runs he has made, it is how he has made them as a dominant force, leading from the front and scoring at a rate previous champions would have regarded as unthinkable”.