Australian skipper Ricky Ponting hailed Adam Gilchrist for his "unbelievable" 149 after sweeping to an unprecedented hat-trick of consecutive World Cup titles on Saturday.

Wicketkeeper Gilchrist scored the biggest and fastest hundred in a World Cup final to cap Australia's virtually unchallenged run through the tournament with a 53-run victory over Sri Lanka at the Kensington Oval.

"He hasn't played a better one," Ponting said. "To go out in a World Cup final and play 149 off 104 balls, hardly missed the middle of the bat for most of the day, it is an unbelievable innings.

"One of the best innings you will ever see and it was one of the best innings I have ever seen.

"Matty Hayden in many ways has been the batsman of the tournament and he (Gilchrist) has been at the other end looking pretty shaky and scratching.

"There was one difference in both teams today, in the outcome of the game and that was Gilly's innings.

"To take the game away from the opposition as Gilly did was pretty special stuff and to happen in the final says a lot about the bloke."

Gilchrist has scored half centuries at least in each of his three World Cup final appearances.