Australia cricket down but not out, yet

HOW long has it been since the public has had such little confidence in the Australian cricket team?

Ten years? 20 years? For the younger generation — never?

After last week’s massive loss in the second Test against India, the knives have come out for the Aussie team, almost as fast as Virender Sehwag’s flashing blade and as sharp as Zaheer Khan’s sledges.

The loss in Mohali has knocked the stuffing out of Australia’s aura of invincibility.

But it is going too far to suggest Australia is in free fall — one loss doesn’t mean a team that has dominated for so long is suddenly a rabble.

But it does raise a series of questions.

Do we have an attack capable of capturing 20 wickets in batting-friendly conditions?

Why, after the arrival of Shane Warne in 1992, are no quality spinners coming through the ranks?

What is it about India and its cricketers that gets under the Aussies’ skin?

Are Brett Lee and Mathew Hayden on borrowed time?

These questions are difficult to answer.

But the biggest concern that the mighty ship that bludgeoned and intimidated so many opponents has sunk is when you compare the current Test team with the side that dominated through Australia’s golden period.

There is no way Simon Katich (as hard as he tries) would replace Michael Slater or Mark Taylor; the same applies for Michael Clarke (Mark Waugh), Shane Watson (Steve Waugh), Brad Haddin (Ian Healy), Mitchell Johnson (Glenn McGrath), Cameron White (Warne) and Peter Siddle (Jason Gillespie).

Was Australian cricket ridiculously blessed circa-1998 or are we now scraping the bottom of the barrel?

A bit of both perhaps.

Of course the retirements of some of the biggest names in Australia’s cricketing history is always going to hurt — Warne, McGrath, Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer and Damien Martyn have all departed in recent seasons — but no one would have expected the crash to be so severe.

But I’m not sure if the series in India is a true reflection of where Australian cricket is at.

Winning in India has, throughout our proud cricketing history, been the toughest of challenges, even when the Aussies were at their strongest.

So even a series loss shouldn’t mean Australia is no longer the No.1 cricketing nation.

But if the team starts struggling to win at home — this summer’s home series against South Africa will be a huge test — or losing to lesser likes such as the West Indies or New Zealand, then critics will be right in saying Australia’s era of dominance is officially over.