'Australia's days as cricket's No 1 are all but over'

Media lambasted "sore and sorry" Australian cricket team while predicting that uncertainty and apprehension was set to mark its future after the below-par outing of India which brought to an end its 'invincible' era.

"Welcome to the combustible new world of Australian cricket, an era set to be marked by uncertainty, apprehension and an increasing number of draws and defeats," said a report in the 'Daily Telegraph'.

"Australia will this week begin preparations for the new home season with a captain under fire, a sick vice-captain and spearhead, out of form players and opponents believing its days as cricket's No. 1 nation are all but over," it added.

Newspaper headlines like -- 'Lay off Ponting...for now', 'How cricket's top dogs lost their bark', Australia goes into soul searching mode' -- expressed their frustration at the national team's humiliating defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

"Confirmation that the once-mighty Australia are now just another Test team arrived right on tea on the final day of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series," said the 'Australian Associated Press'.

"When last man Mitchell Johnson was given out lbw padding up to Harbhajan Singh, India had won the match by 172 runs and the Trophy by two Tests to nil.

"It left the Australians sore and sorry after seven weeks in the subcontinent where they've expended every effort - yet still fallen a long way short of the home side," it added.

Leading newspaper 'The Australian' described India as the "bogey" team for Ponting and his men.

"Ponting remains Australia's second-most successful skipper behind Steve Waugh, but clearly India are his bogey team, accounting for four of his six Test losses in his 48 at the helm," 'The Australian' wrote.