Commentators and cricket fans have been baying for the blood of Ricky Ponting, but overnight many praised the captain for playing "an innings of a lifetime" and his "sheer Aussie single-mindedness".
Ponting made 104 - his first international hundred in 13 months - which helped Australia to a total of 260 for six, but it was not enough to stop India from reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup.
"Man who lost the World walks away with pride intact," an Indian Express headline read.
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Click for more photosAustralia vs India
Australian captain Ricky Ponting stares at a jubilant Indian crowd during his team's World Cup quarter final loss.
"During his 118-ball 104, Ponting walked the talk. His innings encapsulated Ponting in his entirety. There was grit, composure under pressure, flashes of brilliance and sheer Aussie single-mindedness."
The Hindustan Times told its readers to "spare a thought for Ponting" as they celebrated India's victory over their arch-rivals.
"Tonight, [all-rounder] Yuvraj [Singh] must be the most loved Indian on the planet but do spare a thought for Ponting," theTimes wrote.
"In his last World Cup match, he played an innings of a lifetime and no Indian would hate him now."
"The great Australian hero makes a point," noted another Indian daily, DNA, while Indian television network NDTV praised Ponting for making "batting look as easy as breathing".
Cricinfo compared Ponting to country singer Johnny Cash, who, in his later years, stripped back his music to focus on his voice.
Former spinner Shane Warne wrote on Twitter about Ponting's recent string of poor performances: "Last thought - form temporary - class permanent !!!!", while former England captainMichael Vaughan tweeted: "Outstanding innings from Ricky.. That will shut a few up.."
In England, Ponting's ton was compared to the century he struck against India in the 2003 World Cup final.
"What a performance. Just stop for a second and think about what Ponting has achieved here," The Guardian said in its live commentary during the game.
"This is a staggering display of mental strength from one of the all-time greats. Never, ever write him off."
But the avalanche of compliments for Ponting did not stop former Australian great Ian Chappell from calling for a new captain.
"I thought all along that this summer was it for Ricky Ponting as captain," he told Cricinfo after the match.
"I felt that the end of the Ashes was the right time for him to finish with the Test captaincy. They were ... quite right to let him defend his title at the World Cup, but now it's time ... you got to have a new team.
"Not much point having the same captain with a different team. Different team, new captain."
At a press conference after the five-wicket defeat, Ponting stressed that he would continue as an international cricketer despite Australia's early exit from the tournament.
"Didn't I answer that question the other day? Nothing's changed," he said.
"It's a bit premature to say it was the end of an era for Australian cricket, it was a pretty good game tonight.
"I didn't think we were far away from winning a game against a very good Indian team on their home soil. I think it's a bit too early to say it's the end of an era."
When an Indian journalist asked the 36-year-old if he saw himself as a "tragic hero", Ponting said he didn't have an answer.
"But probably this is my last World Cup match and I am happy to have scored a century," Indian website Sify.com quoted him as saying. "I am not a stats man, but probably after I hang up my boots I will look into it."
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