Sydney: Ricky Ponting admitted to shedding a tear or two as the realisation dawned that three of his long-term mates — Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer — had played their last Test for Australia.

The retirements of the trio dominated the final Test of the series, with Ponting revealing that he urged the team to do their absolute best to send them out as winners.

“It’s not so much the end result (5-0), but probably just the occasion with the three guys finishing up,” said Ponting, who was named Player of the Series.

“I admit I shed a tear out on the ground, and even when we took the last wicket, to think that this would be the last time that we would be walking off the ground with Glenn and Shane.

“I was hoping to get a chance to bat with Langer, I was a bit dirty on Matty (Matthew) Hayden not getting out,” he said with a smile.

“To realise that was the last opportunity that I was going to have was a pretty emotional time.”

“I’m very satisfied. Revenge has never come into it. I have never mentioned it once. I couldn’t be any more satisfied than I am at the moment. For us to play as well as we have in the last two games for the guys who are retiring is something they can be proud of.

“I addressed the team before the Test and said all I wanted was when all of us walked off at the end that we could look the retiring players in the eye and knew we’d done our absolute best for them.