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It has been a while since Australia could justifiably claim to be the best Test cricket team in the world. Some may point to the series they won in South Africa in 2009 as the point at which they were last no 1.
Others will point to the 2007/2008 series against India, where the foreign cricket commentariat, (Peter Roebuck and Tony Greig) and large swathes of ‘would be if they could be’ domestic supporters stabbed the triumphant winning spirit of the Australian Test team in the back.
This winning spirit did not come easily.
It was forged from the depths of 1985, the hangover of World Series Cricket and rebel tours to South Africa.
It took over a decade to temper until coming to fruition in the partnership of the Waugh twins in the deciding Test of the 1995 series against the West Indies.
It was personified in characters like Steve Waugh and Justin Langer, neither of whom were the most talented batsmen, but inspired their teammates by their ruthless desire to reach their potential. Or the near autistic accuracy of Glenn McGrath.
It was graced by the skills of great batsmen like Mark Waugh, Adam Gilchrist, Matt Hayden and Ricky Ponting. The silky smooth keeping skills of Ian Healy in a form relentlessly mastered through work ethic.
And the icing on the cake was Shane Warne. A unique bowler who psychologically bullied the opposition, understanding better than anyone he was bowling to a man, who has greater strengths and greater weaknesses than any computer.
Now I look at the current team:
Of them, only Michael Clarke, David Warner, Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris would be in contention for selection to that team.
Sure, guys like Peter Siddle and Brad Haddin are solid performers, Nathan Lyon and Steve Smith are showing signs of confidence and improvement.
But there are guys who were better than them during the golden years who never played a Test, and a lot of guy who only played a handful.
The key to this pace attack is Johnson. His ability to slice through opposition teams with a mixture of speed, aggression and tactical nous is reminiscent of the great Curtley Ambrose at times, even if their actions and variations are almost entirely different.
Just do not expect him to do it every innings and he has got to pick up his form when things are not going his way to truly be considered an elite Test bowler.
I hate to sound unpatriotic but, despite their crushing of a pathetic English team, this team does not have what it takes.
1) They do not want it bad enough.
2) They expect for it just to happen.
3) They do not believe they deserve it and incorporate that belief into every aspect of their training and playing.
4) The best years of half the team are behind them.
5) Apart from Warner, there is a mental weakness to the players under 30.
But than, objections are always found to teams on the rise. It is ultimately up to how they compete on the day and their ability to put stress on, and break, the cricket producing form of the individuals of the opposition cricket team.
They did that pretty well to a worn out English cricket team.
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