Sydney, toughest Test of my career: Ponting

Melbourne: Ricky Ponting on Thursday admitted that the controversy-ridden Sydney Test was his toughest ever match as Australian captain but oozed confidence that the fracas will not affect his team's popularity in India.

Ponting said that while losing the Ashes to England in 2005 was the most difficult moment in his career as the captain of the side, it was so for cricketing reasons. But for non-cricketing reasons, it has to be the acrimonious Sydney Test, he said.

"Well, yes, it was probably the toughest Test, but not for cricketing reasons," he told NDTV.

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The Sydney Test was marred by umpiring blunders and a row which saw Harbhajan Singh being slapped with a three-Test ban for allegedly racially abusing Andrew Symonds before Appeals Commissioner John Hansen overturned the Match Referee's verdict and reduced the punishment to a fine of 50 per cent of Harbhajan match fees.

Ponting and Symonds, among others, signed a letter to Justice Hansen during the hearing of the appeal in which they requested the Commissioner to downgrade the charge against the Indian off-spinner.

Ponting said both he and Symonds worked in the greater interest of the game.

"It was a decision of both me and Andrew, along with Cricket Australia, to try and find a middle way. A lot of allegations had been made from both sides but we had the larger picture in mind. Me and Andrew worked in the greater interest of the game," he said.

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Despite the acrimony, Ponting did not find any reasons for his team's popularity to nosedive in India, where most of the Australian cricketers are scheduled to take part in the Indian Premier League.

"Obviously, we are going to India but I don't think we have done anything wrong which you can complain about. Harbhajan (Singh) has still been found guilty of breaching 2.8 (of ICC Code of Conduct for the players).

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"I really don't know why the Indian public would dislike us. We always believed that what's in the field should stay in the field," Ponting said.

He also asserted that both teams should put behind the bad blood, even though he did not rule out little chit-chat on the field.

"I guess there will be some chit-chat but my team knows the line and they would not cross it," he added.