ST. JOHN'S (AFP) - Ricky Ponting has played down his achievement of becoming the seventh batsman to pass 10,000 runs in Tests, rejoicing more at the length of his career. The Australia captain needed 61 when he went to the wicket about 30 minutes before lunch on the opening day of the second Test against West Indies on Friday. He reached the milestone about 15 minutes after the tea break, when he drove a full length delivery outside the off-stump from Ramnaresh Sarwan - twirling his modest leg-breaks - through extra cover for two before he was dismissed soon after for 65. "I must admit it was on my mind a little bit actually," Ponting told reporters. "It's nice to get there, disappointing to get out when I did, but nice to get to that figure I guess. "As you all know, I've never been anyone that's really focussed or worried too much about milestones or statistics, but to be the third fastest player in history to score 10,000 runs is a nice little thing that I will be able to look back upon when I'm finished." Ponting became the third Australian batsman to reach the coveted landmark, following in the footsteps of two of his predecessors - Allan Border (11,174 runs) and Steve Waugh (10,927). "It was on my mind probably right from the start because I was made aware of it by you blokes in the media the other day, so it gave me a little bit extra to think about, probably at the start of the innings more than any other time," Ponting said. "The pitch was obviously very good, so I thought I was going to have as good a chance as any to get across that line. To get it out of the way was great." The hard-nosed Ponting however, disclosed he was far prouder of playing in his 118th Test, after making his debut against Sri Lanka in 1995 at Perth, than becoming the newest member of the 10,000-run club. "I guess if you bat in the top order and play that many games you are probably expected to be around the mark that I am around at the moment," he said. "I am proud of everything I've achieved in the game, but probably more proud of how many winning teams I've played in rather than how many runs I've scored. "They are the things that motivate me to keep playing, whenever I am confronted with a situation, whether it is to go and get a 100 or bat through a session - they are the things that excite me. "The one-on-one contests of the game of cricket are what keep me going. Milestones and stats have never been anything that's motivated me about the game." As such, Ponting is satisfied with the position of his side. They reached 259 for three, after choosing to bat on a hard, docile pitch, before bad light stopped play eight overs short of the daily quota. Ponting batted through lunch and tea to add 136 for the second wicket with Simon Katich before he drove hard at a rising ball outside the off-stump and was caught at second slip off Jerome Taylor about 20 minutes after tea. "I think we've had a pretty good day all round as a team, since it's a very flat track, but it got very hard to score on throughout the middle session," he said. "Hopefully, Simon Katich and Michael Clarke can start well for us on the second day against the new ball and get through 10 overs of that. "It will probably swing in the morning, if we get through 10 overs of that, and then afterwards should be the easiest time in the game to score." Australia lead the three-Test series 1-0, after they completed a 95-run victory in the opening Test last Monday at Kingston.