Ricky Ponting became only the fifth batsman in Test cricket to score double centuries in two successive Tests by scoring 257 in Australia's first innings in the third Test against India at Melbourne.

Ponting had also made 242 in the first innings of the Adelaide Test that Australia lost by four wickets.

England's Wally Hammond, Australia's Don Bradman, India's Vinod Kambli and South Africa's Graeme Smith are the others to do so.

Bradman performed the feat thrice, while Hammond did so on two occasions. Kambli is the only batsman whose two double centuries in the successive Tests came against different opponents.

Batsman	Score	Opponents	Venue	Season
Wally Hammond (Eng)	251	v Aus	Sydney	1928-29
	200	v Aus	Melbourne	1928-29
Don Bradman (Aus)	254	v Eng	Lord's	1930
	334	v Eng	Leeds	1930
Wally Hammond (Eng)	227	v NZ	Christchurch	1932-33
	336*	v NZ	Auckland	1932-33
Don Bradman (Aus)	304	v Eng	Leeds	1934
	244	v Eng	The Oval	1934
Don Bradman (Aus)	270	v Eng	Melbourne	1936-37
	212	v Eng	Adelaide	1936-37
Vinod Kambli (Ind)	224	v Eng	Bombay WS	1992-93
	227	v Zim	Delhi	1992-93
Graeme Smith (SA)	277	v Eng	Birmingham	2003
	259	v Eng	Lord's	2003
Ricky Ponting	242	v Ind	Adelaide	2003-04
	257	v Ind	Melbourne	2003-04