NEW DELHI, 26 January 2004 — India is poised to replace Australia as the world’s best cricket team after its awesome performance Down Under in both Test and one-day series, say former international players.

Former Australian batsman Dean Jones said yesterday that the Aussie reign was under threat, especially after their failure to win a recent four-Test home series against India.

“There’s no doubt about that (threat to Australia’s supremacy),” Jones told the Times of India.

“They will continue to go down without Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne,” he said, adding the World Cup champions would find it difficult to defend their title in the West Indies in 2007.

“There are not enough quality players to keep pushing the juggernaut ahead. The Waugh brothers have just retired. Hayden, Gilchrist, McGrath and Warne may struggle to go on till then too.”

Australia looked vulnerable even at home in the absence of fast bowler McGrath and leg-spinner Warne as they struggled to draw the Test series 1-1 against Saurav Ganguly’s Indians.

India’s batting flourished throughout the Test series against a depleted Australian attack, with vice-captain Rahul Dravid showing the way with 619 runs in four matches.

Venkatsai Laxman (494), Virender Sehwag (464) and Sachin Tendulkar (383) also reminded Australia that all was not well with their bowling.

Australia are also finding it tough to tame India in the ongoing triangular one-day series, having lost one of their three closely-contested matches against the Indians.

“It’s not just about India threatening them (Australia). Even other teams will also be in a position to take them on,” said former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, the first batsman to compile 10,000 Test runs.

Former Pakistani captain Imran Khan said India were proving to be the world-beaters after their remarkable performances in Tests and one-dayers.

“The way they played in the World Cup and on this tour of Australia, I’d put India right at the top,” he told the paper.

Former England captain Graham Gooch echoed the same sentiments.

“The way the team fought when they were last in England, then the World Cup and now in Australia, the Indians mean business. The body language is hungry, complacency is out and they know the roles offered to them,” said Gooch.

India also drew a four-Test series in England in 2002 before qualifying for the World Cup final in South Africa.

Bashar Named Bangladesh’s New Cricket Captain

In Dhaka, Prolific batsman Habibul Bashar has replaced Khaled Mahmud as Bangladesh’s cricket captain for the upcoming tours of Zimbabwe and Namibia, officials announced yesterday.

The 31-year-old Bashar is Bangladesh’s most successful batsman in Test cricket, having compiled 1,840 runs in 26 matches with two hundreds and 16 half-centuries.

Rajin Saleh has been named vice-captain of the 16-member squad which leaves for the twin tours this week, officials said.

Mahmud’s captaincy was under pressure after losing both Test and one-day series against England at home two months ago.