What are your comments on following articals ? These are for ture or Eng’s victory was a fluke ?
**Test defeat exposes Australia’s thin bowling stocks **](http://www.cricketnext.com/news1/next/reuters/reuters1394.htm)
By Julian Linden
SYDNEY, January 7, 2003 (Reuters)
Australia’s loss to England in the final Ashes test has exposed concerns about a future without their two leading strike bowlers Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne.
Both men missed the Sydney test through injuries and with the World Cup starting in a month’s time there are renewed fears about the ability of the support bowlers to take over.
Australia’s bowling stocks are already stretched to the limit with paceman Jason Gillespie out of action for at least two weeks with elbow and knee problems and Andy Bichel suffering a broken finger.
McGrath is recovering from a side strain but is certain to lead the attack in the World Cup while Warne is still doubtful after dislocating his right shoulder last month.
The leg-spinner, Australia’s leading wicket-taker in test and limited-overs cricket, began bowling in the nets for the first time this week but is not certain to make it South Africa.
With more than 900 test wickets between them, McGrath and Warne already rank as two of the greatest bowlers the game has produced and it’s no coincidence that Australia have established themselves as one of the finest teams in history during their careers.
Their absence from the Sydney test showed how valuable they are to the team as England piled up 362 in the first innings then a 452-9 in the second, easily their highest score of the series won 4-1 by Australia.
With the World Cup starting on February 9, test captain Steve Waugh said Australia would have to keep their best bowlers wrapped in cotton wool if they wanted to retain their World Cup.
“It’s more about man management, not overplaying them now and making sure that they’re peaking for the World Cup,” Waugh said.
"That’s where they’re going to be judged… the most important series obviously is the World Cup.
“They’ve got to get right for that and make sure that they’ve got 15 players, the strongest possible team going and are as fit as they possibly can be.”
**Warning signs for Australian cricket **](http://www.cricketnext.com/features1/swamy/swamy69.htm)
The comprehensive victory by England over Australia in the fifth and final Test at the SCG, the third worst suffered by the hosts in their long Ashes history, has shown in clear terms the very important roles played by the absent through injury of the hosts’ two key wicket-taking bowlers Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne.
It’s been made very clear that on pitches where the bounce is not similar in nature to the one afforded by the WACA in Perth and The Gabba in Brisbane, the Australian attack loses much of its potency in the absence of the two great bowlers McGrath and Warne.
It has also been proved by England that when put under pressure the Australian batting line-up, which rattles up runs in dominant fashion at the rate of plus-4 or 5 regularly, is liable to crack.
The fact is that in McGrath and Warne Australia have two of the greatest-ever wicket-taking bowlers, or match winners to put it in the right perspective, and the other bowlers can play only supporting roles and are not yet ready to take on the lead roles in pace or spin.
Jason Gillespie is a fine bowler, capable of fiery spells, but is not yet in the McGrath league, and Brett Lee – for all the fire and brimstone that he exhibits with his pace – is at least three rungs below McGrath.
This is why one admires McGrath. He was pitch forked into the lead fast bowler’s spot suddenly vacated by Craig McDermott during the team’s visit to the Caribbean Islands in 1994-95.
And to his immense credit the gangling fast bowler, who comes from the outback of New South Wales, slipped into the role with nonchalant ease and was, in a large way, responsible for helping Australia become the first team to beard the once mighty West Indies in its own den after close to a decade and a half.
And what about Warne? When he and McGrath fire from the opposite ends there seems to be no escape route for most batsmen in the world. Stuart McGill is a fine leg spinner, moulded in a more orthodox and old-fashioned style, but is not Warne whose accuracy is legendary.
McGrath and Warne, one can say now with certainty, were the keys to the tremendous Australian victory run in Tests against all comers, especially at home, as it’s bowlers who win teams Test matches after the batsmen set up those victories.
And England showed clearly that once the top three batsmen are consumed in quick time the rest of the batting, which includes the ageing Steve Waugh, is severely tested. The Australian Test captain showed a tremendous sense of occasion and fantastic fighting spirit along with the hard-hitting Adam Gilchrist in the first innings of the Sydney Test, but hopes of a rare repeat show by Waugh did not materialize.
Still, it was a fantastic feat to beat England 4-1 in the Ashes series. But warning signs are already there for the victors. Australia have to seek and find replacements for their ageing warriors in double quick time, or their mind-boggling domination of world Test cricket would become a matter of history.