CricDigs Blogs

The Australians really can’t be surprised at being dethroned from their customary numero uno position in one-day cricket. The reason is simple — this was very evident for the last five-six months as other teams were quickly beginning to size-up and catch-up with the Australian team. Although, I do say it, this view in itself is a big question mark.

Is it really the Aussies on the decline or the other teams really beginning to play good? I guess it has to be combination of both. The Oz haven’t been able to find good replacements for their players who retired recently and teams like SA and India have begun to exhibit some real spunk, especially the Indians. There is still no clear favourite among the three — SA, India and Australia, as all three of them can beat each other on any given day. What would matter in the end is the ability of these teams to sustain their dominance in the near future, something that the Aussies did very well for more than a decade.

Can the Indians really maintain a winning percentage of nearly 75% in a calendar year, again something that the Aussies have done? Is SA’s batting good enough to win consistently and actually bat out the opposition if on a given day their bowling fails to deliver?

Most of these questions would sort out themselves in the coming days. I guess the Lankans too could prove quite a handful but their team is bound to struggle if either Murali or Jayasuriya don’t deliver and they already have a captain who has been averaging less than 26 runs per match for nearly a season. This is where the Indians gain advantage — they are no longer dependent on a Tendulkar (though his very presence seems so assuring and his contribution is undoubted) or Dravid to win. The team is moving ahead like a cohesive unit and gaining momentum with every series win.