Well Well Well... Is this the end of Australia being a dominent force in cricket!

[Trescothick]

I don't think the Aussies played all that badly actually... Bangladesh just took advantage of an Aussie side to arrogant to see the way to bowl them out. There is no reason to why the Aussies weren't patient and bowl how the England players do: Continously just off-stump so that they swing and eventually edge and then some direct to maintain pressure and variety.

Its way to early to talk about the Aussies no longer being the dominant force, they still will be for a long time but they may just find a few more upsets this summer unless they turn things around.

Full credit to Bangladesh: They did deserve that and they found ease in stroking the Aussies away towards the end.

I think the Aussies may get one more fright tomorrow from England and then we shall see their proper performances and be in for a good summer of cricket.

[Mongoose]

Originally Posted by Trescothick

I think the Aussies may get one more fright tomorrow from England and then we shall see their proper performances and be in for a good summer of cricket.

I would have England as slight favourites for tomorrow's game. The reason is that England are confident, they're on home ground and the players have had lots of cricket over the last two months. Australia have played a few warm up games and are yet to find their form. Plus they've got the distraction of the Symonds issue undermining spirit in the camp. So England are in better shape. As for the longer term, Australia are going to have to replace some key players over the next 3 years or so, but I think they will still be in very good shape for the Ashes and will be the same formidable force they have been for the past decade. So the end of Aussie dominance may be approaching, but I don't think it will happen this summer.

[Hondo]

Originally Posted by Beny

Well Hondo you'll excuse me If I dont take your assumption seriously. Everybody in the world has been waiting for this momment for a long time and now people are jumping on every thing they can to confirm their dreams... I'd prefer to ask serious questions such as why?

You are excused Beny! Yesterdays loss to England just proves my Assumption.

[vvvrulz]

This series isn't over yet, and Australia haven't being playing particularly terrible cricket. I don't want England and the rest of the cricketing world likewise to jump the gun and think that Australia are crumbling. Its not over yet...

[Beny]

Originally Posted by Hondo 53013

You are excused Beny! Yesterdays loss to England just proves my Assumption.

LOL! You miss the point Hondo. Australia have lost lots of ODI's. We lost to New Zealand only a few months ago, We lost to England in the ICCT, we came close to losing to other numerous teams. How do you, Hondo, belive that Australia have now fallen? Give me some reasons... What is different about this team compared to six months ago. And before you get too caried away and write the Ashes off compleatly it might not hurt to realise that the Ashes team and the ODI team are compleatly different both in the make-up and their dynamic. There is a different atmoshphere about the ODI team. To begin with you are adding the experiance and talent of Shane Warne and Justin Langer, not to mention that the Aussie bowling attack is far better suited to the test arena anyway.

[Victor Frankenstein]

on the same note though, the england test team is far far better than our one day side, this is a side that's been hammered by the windies, south africa, new zealand and sri lanka in recent times.

I don't think any of these results have shown a fall from the top for the australians, but i do think they're falling closer to the rest of the teams. I do feel that australia have got worse, but considering their best was far far better than any other side in world cricket, for them to even be 60% as good as they were still makes them competitive with any side in the world, it just means that now they can lose close matches rather than always win them as before. I think australia have fallen more than england have caught them up, the australian side of just 2 years ago would still hammer this england side, pieterson or not. But luckily for us it's not the same side, so now we're about even, and this summer just might be competitive after all, which can only be good for cricket.

One day games and test matches are unrelated in most ways, BUT, i'm not sure australians realise just how much they win the game before it even starts, people just assume no matter what the other side does the australian team will not only match, but surpass it, this series has so far proved that they can now be beaten and that they are only human. Australia could easily go on to win all their remaining matches but england know that they can bowl australia out cheaply no matter what, and that's a big boost for them come the test series when we'll have our proper bowling attack. (I know australia will have too, but they already know they can win games so it makes no difference to them).

[Hondo]

Originally Posted by Beny

LOL! You miss the point Hondo. Australia have lost lots of ODI's. We lost to New Zealand only a few months ago, We lost to England in the ICCT, we came close to losing to other numerous teams. How do you, Hondo, belive that Australia have now fallen? Give me some reasons... What is different about this team compared to six months ago. And before you get too caried away and write the Ashes off compleatly it might not hurt to realise that the Ashes team and the ODI team are compleatly different both in the make-up and their dynamic. There is a different atmoshphere about the ODI team. To begin with you are adding the experiance and talent of Shane Warne and Justin Langer, not to mention that the Aussie bowling attack is far better suited to the test arena anyway.

Beny, if you look at my original post you would know I'm talking about International cricket. I never said anything about their Test side. I know they have lost ODI matches to other countries, But they just lost to the worse team in the world. And then got beaten by the Poms as well and you can see some panic setting in the team. This thread was about finally seeing weaknesses of the Australian side and their future, at no point did I say they are the worse team just cause they lost to the lowest ranking team.

[Paoli]

Well, if you ask me the Australian future is brighter than most countries. How many players that haven't represented their country in a test match can claim that they hit 100 against Pakistan? Not many, I think Brad Haddin is the only one. How many players can come in at 5-60 on a terrible wicket and belt 125 and get the score up to 270; also whilst having not played for Australia? David Hussey, I think that'd be it.

Also, we've got several bowlers (whilst not McGrath class) who could step up to the plate. I don't think there's any panic in the Australian team. We obviously aren't playing our best cricket, but we were just beaten on both days.

[flanflinger]

Originally Posted by Hondo

at no point did I say they are the worse team just cause they lost to the lowest ranking team.

It's amazing how people read stuff and take it to the most extreme!!

Don't think anyone in their right mind would say that this means that Australia are the worst team in the world. It's just it may indicate that they may not be so far away as the best team in the world.

I agree with Vic, this does indicate that maybe the gap is closing between Australia and the rest (which is a good thing for World Cricket) and that maybe this indicates that things may not be as rosy as it has been.

I also agree with Beny in that Test Cricket is a different animal, and that many ODI's can be lost without too much significance being read it to them.

For me these Loses help England in only one way - it proves they can be beaten and that they have the ability to do it - which pshycologically is much needed. Too often you look at the Austalians and just the names on the team sheet are intimidating... However, now we know they can be beaten

[Leafy Seadragon]

I'm not sure how two ODIs signal that the Aussies are coming back to the pack. In 2001/2 we didn't even qualify for the final of our own tri-nations series. This was a far lower moment than anything happening at the moment, yet the world didn't end and the Aussies generally continued to dominate world cricket. Its a sport. Even great teams lose. Sometimes they lose a few. If they continue to lose a few more, then questions start to set in. Lose more and the mantle of greatness slips. Lets see how things are when the dust settles. Maybe its the end, maybe just another false dawn