Johannesburg, Oct 3(ANI): Australia captain Ricky Ponting has said that he admires the rapid improvement that his relatively inexperienced team has made in the Champions Trophy and says that he won’t be happy till his team successfully defends its title.

Australia, who defeated England by nine wickets in Friday’s semi-final at SuperSport Park, will now play against the winner of the other semi-final between New Zealand and Pakistan on Monday.

“We’ve been talking about playing at a level that is going to get us into big games. At the start of the England series we were focusing on being prepared for the Champions Trophy and being in a position like (Friday’s) where we can play our best cricket when it matters,” the AAP quoted Ponting, as saying.

“If you look at our team I guess it probably is a new era. To have Michael Clarke and Nathan Bracken not take any part in the Champions Trophy at all and to have this group of relatively young guys make it through to a final is a good achievement in itself. But, we won’t be happy until we peak in the final,” he added.

Ponting further said that he was particularly satisfied with his own performance and added that the short break that he took after the Ashes series has helped him a lot to improve his game.

Ponting scored his 28th ODI century during the game against England and was also had an unbroken stand of 252 with Shane Watson, which is the biggest partnership by an Australian pair in ODI’s.

“I was particularly keen to get out there and play well. When the Australian team took the field I think we had a different sort of energy and aura about us than we probably have had for a while,” Ponting said.

“That’s my job, as an experienced player and leader, to make sure the guys get into that frame of mind as well. I pride myself on big games and I think all us experienced players do. It’s up to players like myself to set the example and lead from the front,” he added. (ANI)