Headingley challenge seems to bring out the best in me, warns the prolific Ponting

Ponting has scored 421 runs at 105.25 in three Tests at Leeds – his highest average at an English Test venue.

"When you have success at certain grounds, you do have a good feeling about them when you go back," said Ponting, who will be looking to continue his good record at Headingley during the second Test against Pakistan starting today.

"The pace and bounce at Headingley are normally pretty good, and I've always enjoyed batting at the venue.

"The ball goes around a little bit at times and there are great challenges here for the batsmen.

"I'd like to think I'm the sort of player who can lift myself whenever there is a challenge on the cards, and maybe that's part of why I've done well here."

Ponting faced one of his toughest challenges during the Headingley Ashes Test of 1997.

He came to the wicket with Australia 50-4 in reply to England's first innings 172 and responded by hitting 127, his maiden Test hundred, as Australia recovered to 501-9 declared en route to an innings victory.

On Ponting's next visit to Leeds in 2001, he scored 144 and 72 only for England to win by six wickets on the back of an unbeaten 173 from Mark Butcher.

Last summer, Ponting stroked 78 as Australia thrashed England by an innings at Headingley inside three days.

"I've got many happy memories of playing at Headingley," added Ponting, who has scored 11,954 Test runs at 54.83.

"I made my first Test hundred at the ground and that was obviously very special.

"We were in quite a bit of trouble at the time and they were probably as tough conditions as you'll bat in.

"I managed to get a few runs that day and hopefully things will continue to work out for me this week."

Ponting returns to a new-look stadium following the construction of the 21m Carnegie Pavilion.

And the 35-year-old pronounced himself delighted with the new development.

"Headingley has changed quite a bit since I was last here," he said.

"The changing rooms are down the other end now in the new pavilion, and there's some nice new facilities.

"We're just settling in at the moment and getting used to it all, and the ground looks terrific actually.

"Hopefully it will bring out the best in our players over the next few days."

Ponting's men are targeting their eighth successive Test win as they continue their preparation for this winter's Ashes.

He believes Australia are coming to the boil as they attempt to recapture the urn from Andrew Strauss's men.

"What I think we've got around the group at the moment is a really good balance of youth and experience," he added.

"In fact, our balance is probably as good as it's been for quite a long while.

"It's obviously not the same Australian team of five or six years ago.

"I don't think there's any team in the world that compares to that one because it was arguably the best team to have played the game.

"But I feel as though we've gone through the rebuilding process now and that things are progressing really well," he added.

Ponting has promised Australia will target new Pakistan captain Salman Butt and make his life "as tough as possible".

Butt leads his country for the first time after Shahid Afridi's shock retirement following Pakistan's 150-run defeat at Lord's.

"They've got a new leader now and we need to make sure we make life as tough as possible for him," declared Ponting.

"The way he played last week was as good as I've seen him play, and I think our guys learned a fair bit about bowling against him.

"I think we were all surprised when we heard immediately after the game at Lord's that Afridi had stepped down," he said.

"You get a lot of shock things happening around Pakistan cricket, but it's not for us to worry about that."

Australia are confident Ben Hilfenhaus (shoulder) and Marcus North (stomach bug) will be fit as they look to register their 14th successive Test win against Pakistan.

Australia (possible): Watson, Katich, Ponting (captain), Clarke, Hussey, North, Paine, Smith, Johnson, Hilfenhaus, Bollinger.

Pakistan (possible): Farhat, Butt (captain), Amin, Ali, U Akmal, Malik, K Akmal, Aamer, Gul, Ajmal, Asif.