Melbourne, Mar 14 : Australian skipper Ricky Ponting is happy to bowl part time bowler Simon Katich in occasional short spells as he did on the final day of the second Test when his team needed to end the resistance from South Africa's lower order.

Reluctant Katich is happy to bowl. And, in the process he helped win the second Test and the series.

Ponting threw Katich the ball in Durban and the opening batman took three wickets. The pair had appeared to be involved in a strange standoff until then, FOX Sports reported.

In Melbourne, Ponting had apparently asked vice-captain Michael Clarke to ask Katich if he wanted to bowl. The opening batsman had laughed and said something along the lines of "if he wants me to bowl we are in trouble."

Ponting got the message and decided that if Katich wasn't putting his hand up, he wasn't going to bowl him.

In Durban, Katich was brought on to rest the quicks on the fourth day, then asked to bowl before lunch on the fifth day. He took the wicket of Paul Harris with his second ball and two more after the break.

"Ricky came to me about half-an-hour before lunch and said `get ready, you are going to have a bowl' and I said no worries ripped off my short-leg gear and got into it," Katich said.

"It always helps bowling to the tail. They always try and slog you as a spinner, so it was nice to get a few wickets in the end. I have been a reluctant bowler in the past. I guess when there have been other guys who have been doing the job and doing well, then I''m happy not to be used because we are going well," he said.

Ponting said he felt the old ball was offering nothing to the quicks and that Katich's turn might trouble the tail.

Katich was not totally happy with his bowling spell, despite taking 3-45. (ANI)