The invincible status of the Australians has been destroyed. The team that rules world cricket has bowed to India in the final of the tri-series and also lost a match to Sri Lanka. Is this the first signal of Australia's decline in world cricket?
Australia were a team that could not be beaten anywhere in the world by any team. They have now started to lose matches in their own soil and it should surely be taken as the first sign of their decline.
Supporters of the Australian team might argue that a defeat in one tournament should not be used as the yard stick to measure the strength of their team. Had this been any team other than Australia, this argument could perhaps have been accepted.
But the Australians were so powerful that no other team were anywhere near them in standard. They were an allround team untouchable in all departments of the game.
Inexperienced lot
The Australians lost not because the Indians were stronger. The Indians were a bunch of young inexperienced players, except for a few. A few years back, this Indian team would have been mauled, especially on the hard and bouncy Australian tracks.
The fact that young inexperienced players like Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir could handle the Australian bowling and score runs is indeed a sure sign of the decline in Australia's bowling strength.
It is not their bowling alone that got exposed, but their batting too. The fact that the Australian bowlers fell to two young novice bowlers like Ishant Sharma and Praveen Kumar is indeed a big blow. If they cannot play them easily on wickets made for their pacers, then how will they be able to survive the experienced pace attacks in future?
One should not forget the fact that Australia had a batting line-up which did not even bow to Pakistan pacers like Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram or to South Africa's Alan Donald and Shaun Pollock.
It is a fact that the Australians have depended too long on their top players, refusing to usher in the youngsters. India have done well because they have kept on introducing youngsters one by one at a gentle pace.
Coping with exit of stars
Almost all the top Australian players have aged at the same time. During the last two years, they have lost some great players. They could cope with the exit of Damien Martyn and Justin Langer, but not the end of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne.
The exit of Adam Gilchrist will surely affect the top order. Right now, there isn't a player in Australia who can give a whirlwind start like Gilchrist.
After Warne's exit, it was Brad Hogg who was supposed to lead the spin department. Hogg, by announcing his retirement, has pushed Australia into real trouble. A tour to any of the sub continent countries without a class spinner could be disastrous.
If Australia have to regain their invincibility, they should start the rebuilding process right away under a new, young captain like Michael Clarke. All those who sparkled at the under-19 World Cup should be groomed right away if they are to retain the World Cup beyond 2011.
