5 best number three batsmen of all time

#5 Ricky Ponting

Ponting is one of the greatest players to have graced the game of cricket

Ricky Ponting is someone who splits opinion with his nature on the field but even his harshest critics would sit and applaud the manner in which he dominated the game during his career.

Succeeding someone of Steve Waugh's stature was never going to be an easy task but Ponting did it with aplomb, not just as skipper of the side but also as the No 3 batsman in the side.

The responsibility on his shoulders was huge, but Ponting was not faced with the prospect and in fact, his batting numbers only improved.

No better example can be quoted than the 2003 World Cup final when he batted India out of the contest for the first of his two World Cup crowns as skipper with his majestic undefeated knock of 140 from just 121 balls.

Batting at the No 3 spot, leads the pack in ODI cricket by a huge margin having scored 12662 runs from 330 innings. He nearly achieved the landmark of 10000 runs from the No 3 spot in Test cricket as well but fell 96 short, owing to the fact that he started out at the No 6 spot.

He was a true leader who left no stone unturned in his effort to unsettle the opposition, often earning brickbats from rival fans. There's no doubt however about his class as a batsman in all formats of the game.