SYDNEY, Jan 6: Australia’s amazing last-gasp victory over India in the second Test on Sunday would be remembered as one of the team’s greatest ever wins, captain Ricky Ponting said.

The match seemed to be meandering towards a draw with Australia needing three wickets with only two overs to go when part-time spinner Michael Clarke produced an astonishing over that triggered joyous scenes at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

“It’s right up there as far as I’m concerned,” Ponting told reporters. “My overall emotion and feeling at the end of the game was as good a feeling as I’ve ever had on a cricket field.

“To win a Test like that, coming down to the last eight or 10 minutes on the fifth day is very special.”

Ponting admitted he had only tossed the ball to Clarke out of desperation because he feared the chances of winning were slipping away as the Indian lower order dug in.

Clarke had already performed a miracle with the ball when he took 6-9 against India on his debut in 2004 and spent the last half hour pestering Ponting for another chance.

“Michael’s got the golden touch,” Ponting said. “He actually said to me when I gave him the ball I think I’ve got about just enough time to win us the game here.’ He’s always had a fair bit of confidence in himself.”

Ponting feared he got his mathematics wrong when he gave his bowlers just 72 overs to dismiss the Indians after delaying his team’s declaration until 17 minutes before lunch.

“I was conscious not to set anything that was going to be too easy for the Indians to chase. I wanted us to be able to get ourselves in the situation where we were the only team that could win.

“The last 30 or 40 minutes of the day’s play was about gambling, about rolling the dice.”—Reuters