Sydney, Aug 24 (DPA) Australian cricket fans were left scratching their heads Monday after their side's Ashes loss dislodged them from the top position in the Test rankings.

Australian team is now at the fourth position behind South Africa, Sri Lanka and India.

Needing just a draw from the final game in the best-of-five series, the visitors lost by 197 runs to surrender the precious Ashes trophy to England.

Ricky Ponting, the first Australian in 100 years to captain two losing Ashes tours, joined the faithful in bemusement on handing back the coveted Old Urn trophy just like he did four years ago.

'England have won some really crucial moments during the series,' he said at the the Oval. 'You look through all the stats and you don't know how it turned out like it has.'

Ponting, run out at the Oval while on 66 by retiring England hero Andrew Flintoff, admitted that a second failure in England might cost him his captaincy.

'I've got all that waiting for me when I get back to Australia,' he said. 'That's all part and parcel of being captain.'

But Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland exonerated Ponting, saying his position was safe despite his failure to shine with the bat and as a captain.

'Ricky's had a very, very good series,' Sutherland said. 'He's been under incredible pressure (and) I thought the dignity and poise that he showed in defeat was something that all Australians should be very proud of.'

For the record, the statistics were in the visitors' favour. Australia scored eight 100s and the English only two, and the bowler with the best figures was again an Australian.