Has the spell of Australian dominance on World cricket ended?

Mark Taylor set the tone of dominance which still hums in many ears . Former captain led the side to the final of ICC World Cup,96 where the team lost to Ranatunga's Sri Lanka. The final not only imbibed self belief in the Aussies but also broke the notion of the difficulty that rest of the world face on Sub-continent pitches.

After a close encounter with West Indies in the Semi-Finals, Australia gave Sri Lanka a run for their money before the latter thrashed the Aussies and claimed their first ICC World Cup. It was only signs of things to come. After the tournament Mark taylor stepped down and Steve Waugh took over. Middle order batsman was in the scrutiny after such an ordinary display with the bat. However he was firm in his thoughts and wanted Australia to dominate proceedings in both the formats of the game.

Waugh led the side in the 1999 World Cup and thrashed Pakistan to lift the title. Steve ensured that he is leading from the front by delivering two crucial knocks against South Africa in the group stage and Semi-Final respectively. Since then there is no looking back for cricket Australia. There was no tournament which the side didn't win, no side which they didn't beat. It was a dream run for Waugh and company which was soon taken over by his successor Ricky Pointing after the former's retirement.

Ponting did no harm to the legacy, he dared all odds and won almost every tournament on the fixture. Australia became an impossible side to beat in their backyard. They toured countries with ease and won the series with grace. 2003 World Cup was no exception either, Ponting and company stormed their way into the finals where they faced the confident Indin XI. Ganguly led side were not short of confidence, Ponting though had different plans. Punter smashed the Indian bowling attack and scored an unbeaten ton to lead the team to a massive 359/2. Indians found themselves on the back foot with early departure of Sachin Tendulkar and collapsed for 234.

The period of 1996-2003 can be termed as the purple patch of Australian cricket, it seemed that they didn't put a foot wrong. Ashes still remained a far cry for the Englishmen as Ponting and company were in no mood to let it slip. Ponting himself was on a career high as he begun to narrow the gap between himself and the little master(Sachin Tendulkar). With early exit of 2003 finalists in the 2007 World Cup, Australia commenced the tournament as all time favorites. They did no harm to their reputation as they lashed their 96 finalists and claimed their 3rd title on the trot.

Hang on, as the story always has been, the purple fades soon and loose its lustre. Australia witnessed a downfall 2007 onwards. Not only did they loose the Ashes, but also were thrashed by India in VB series in their own backyard. They nearly passed the Test series as they were inching close to defeat. Ponting found it hard to deliver and injuries begun to dominate Australia. Absence of players like Symonds, Lee, Gilchrist, Warne and Mcgrath did hurt them bad. They toured India and were thrashed with no mercy.

Things worsened as they saw themselves walking out of the 2011 World Cup in the Quarter-Final Stage. Since then only problems hover over cricket Australia. Not only do they need injection of quality talent but also the experience of veterans who still find a place in the XI. Is it the great Aussie downfall or is it the silence before the storm. Australians are expected to make a comeback and if they do, it will be HARD!