Ageing Aussies were made to look mortal

AUSTRALIA haven't only lost the Ashes this summer.

They have finally lost that aura of invincibility and every other Test-playing country will be eager to challenge them now.

I thought Ricky Ponting's team showed a big improvement at The Oval. There was more commitment from the batsmen and they gave it a real go in trying to level the series.

But it didn't happen, and if I plonk a neutral's cap on my head instead of the old baggy green, then I have to say the 2-1 scoreline was right. Apart from the First Test at Lord's, England have outplayed Australia.

It's a great result for Michael Vaughan and the boys. It's a great result for international cricket, too.

Just about everyone thought the world champions were unbeatable, home or away. England have broken the spell, made them look mortal, if you like; just as Australia did to the West Indies a decade or so ago.

The rest of the world will have been watching this fantastic series almost as closely as we have. And the message doing the rounds today is, "Hey, these guys really are vulnerable, they can be made to look second best".

That changes so much for Australia.

So what do they do about it?

Well, I wouldn't expect panic measures with numerous changes in personnel.

Nor do I anticipate Ponting losing the captaincy. What can be guaranteed is a serious post mortem.

Make no mistake, this result is going to hurt a lot back home and issues such as Ponting's decision to bowl first in the Second Test at Edgbaston, coming off for bad light at The Oval, the lack of form shown by several players and the fact the squad are an ageing one will be examined closely.

I think it would be harsh for Ponting to be axed as skipper. If his captaincy has looked a bit below scratch on occasions we must remember that, unlike Vaughan, he had bowlers who weren't able to help him out at times.

But now is undoubtedly the time to start thinking about the future and I'm sure the selectors will look at trying to push some younger guys into the side as and when they can.

Trevor Hohns, the chairman of the panel, has been over here for the last part of the tour so he has seen from close up what has been going on and will have sensed the mood in the camp.

I think it is significant, too, that he is straight off to watch our A team in action in Pakistan. But enough of our problems. What about the new Ashes holders? Where do they go from here?

Well, the first thing they must do is celebrate properly because they deserve to. Then what they must not do is think they've cracked it.

This is a real high point for English cricket. But they can climb higher, and this winter's difficult tours of Pakistan and India will go a long way towards showing how determined they are to keep improving.

The task for those behind the team is to make sure they find and develop players of the right calibre to jump into the first XI in the event of injuries or loss of form.

Whether there is sufficient depth to English cricket for that to happen is my only doubt. Whatever happens, there is no reason why Vaughan's team cannot continue to fly the flag for a while because age is on their side.

As for me, I just can't wait for the next Ashes series a year or so from now. If it's half as good as this one it will be brilliant.

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