NEW DELHI, Nov 21: Australia’s attempts to blame the conditions and movements in front of sightscreen for the Test debacle against India came in for a scathing attack from former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja who said such “minor irritants” could not be the reason for the defeat.

Ramiz said Australia should first realise that they no longer have the resources to be an invincible team and should concentrate on getting their acts together rather than dish out such excuses.

“I don’t think that conditions or a little movement in front of sightscreen is the reason for Australia’s defeat. When teams come to India, they are mentally prepared for a little bit of delay here and there. It is part and parcel of the game, that cannot be the reason for the defeat,” Ramiz said in an interview to a local

daily.

Ramiz said a champion team like Australia should have coped with such “minor irritants”, if there were any, instead of making it an issue after the series was over. “It is difficult to tell the mind of these Australian players. They have a different social fabric. But they knew the conditions they will face in India. Because of the huge crowds, delays are a run of the mill affairs in India,” he said.

Ramiz opined Australia no longer had the team to dominate world cricket and the strategies they deployed against India were also questionable. “Australia does not have the team to dominate. Their bowling has weakened considerably after the retirements of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath. They no longer set the benchmark,” he said.

“In India, they were found wanting in so many aspects. Even the selection left much to be desired, so they have a lot of discussions to do,” the cricketer-turned-commentator stated.

The former Pakistan captain said Australia’s approach in the recent series against India raised eyebrows. “The Australian approach was too defensive. It showed they didn’t have the resources. They don’t even have a quality spinner. They will be seriously challenged by teams like India and South Africa.”

Asked if India has the potential to upstage Australia as the number one team, Ramiz said India was on the right track but they need to maintain the level of consistency. “India certainly has the potential to become the number one team. They now have a decent record outside India as well. But at times, they are a little inconsistent like it happened in Sri Lanka,” the former opener said.

“I would say India is currently the most entertaining team in world cricket. They have some classical batsmen, some swashbucklers like [Virender] Sehwag and a good spinner in Amit Mishra who is an exciting prospect,” he observed.

Ramiz also spoke highly of Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni who has transformed the team since he took charge. “He has been great and has the hallmark of a good leader. He is an achiever, leads the team from the front and has brought about a refreshing change in his approach. I think we will see a lot more of Dhoni,” he said.

“In Nagpur, he put his reputation at stake by employing a defensive strategy. It was a school boyish tactic, but it paid off and worked magically well. I think he has the guts to try out new things,” he said.—Agencies