The Australian team made a couple of mistakes on the field in the controversial second Test against India, Australia captain Ricky Ponting has admitted.
The fallout from the Test, which Australia won by 122 runs, included India captain Anil Kumble accusing the Australians of not playing within the spirit of the game, while Ponting faced calls for his sacking.
- Column: Why Ponting should be banned
The Australian team have received support from numerous other international players for their hard-nosed attitude to the game, though Ponting said the team had examined aspects of their behaviour and reaffirmed their pledge to the spirit of cricket.
However Ponting, writing in his column in Monday's Australian newspaper, said there had been two incidents on the field that his side could have handled better.
"I know when I was given out in the first innings in Sydney I should have left straight away instead of hanging around for a few seconds, and I know I should not have lobbed my bat into the dressing room," Ponting wrote.
"Michael Clarke also knows that he should have gone straight away too, after cutting the ball to first slip.
- Images: Bhajji's day out
"He knows he did the wrong thing but at the time he was just shocked at how he had got out first ball.
"I believe there are no glaring issues we need to address, but when they are all added together in the heat of such a tense and dramatic final day, they caused a reaction, so we need to tighten up on how we play.
"We are very keen to ensure we get the balance of how we play the game right so we can focus clearly on another very big match coming up."
Ponting said he was disappointed the result in Sydney, where Clarke took three wickets in the penultimate over to snatch an improbable victory, had since been overshadowed by the fall out.
Afterwards, India spinner Harbhajan Singh was banned for three matches for a racist remark, umpire Steve Bucknor was sacked from standing in the third Test and the Indian Cricket Board threatened to abandon the tour.
The third Test begins on Wednesday in Perth. Australia have a 2-0 lead after winning the first Test in Melbourne by 337 runs and the match in Sydney by 122 runs.
