Invincible Australia? Not yet: Ian Chappell

Australia has surged on a tidal wave towards the top of the Test rankings and they possess some attributes which will make it difficult for opponents to stop that momentumMichael Clarke said before the series his attack was stronger than a very capable South African lineup and in the end he was proved right Thatrsquos one reason Australia is surging a superb fast bowling attack headed by the pace and aggression of Mitchell JohnsonThe captain himself is another plus mark Clarke has been far ahead of his opposition this summer mdash Alastair Cook and Graeme Smith mdash but hersquos also a superior Test skipper to all the others with his only challenger being the aggressively likeminded Brendon McCullum Unfortunately for McCullum New Zealand isnrsquot blessed with the talent of AustraliaThe other advantage Australia has over the contenders is David Warner An explosively aggressive opener provides an enormous windfall for his team with the main prize being the opposition is wary before hersquos even faced a ball Warner is now more consistent has a thirst for centuries and has cleared his mind of the clutter that can stunt the growth of an aggressive batsmanAustralia skipper Michael Clarke PicGetty ImagesConsistent SmithAs long as Warnerrsquos performing the chinks in Australiarsquos batting armour are less likely to be exposed The fact that Steve Smith has also matured into a consistent performer means Australiarsquos batting suddenly has fewer weaknesses than when the Ashes series started However number three is still a black hole and this will become more apparent if Warnerrsquos form recedesAustralia wonrsquot become a real powerhouse until they can unearth a dominant number three and there doesnrsquot appear to be one with the potential in the pipeline As the summer progressed it became patently clear that conservative captaincy wouldnrsquot halt the runaway train that is Australia with Johnson spearheading a penetrative attack complementedby Clarkersquos imaginative captaincyItrsquos a tough combination to beat an aggressive captain with the wherewithal to implement an attacking strategy from the opening delivery of each Test The other major Test nations must be concerned because Australiarsquos style of play is suited not just to home conditions but also those in South Africa and to a lesser extent EnglandHaving confirmed this by defeating South Africa under their own conditions Australia has completed a rare recent feat among Test nations theyrsquove won away from home What will further boost Australiarsquos confidence is the stream of young fast bowlers waiting in the wings James Pattinson Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins provide hope that the pace bowling edge can be maintainedThe team with the best chance of unsettling Australia is India at home where the conditions suit spinners and also help to defuse pace bowlers This means that not only is their pace bowling advantage blunted but also the Australian batting is most susceptible when the ball is turning consistently As Australia looks to build on the momentum gained during the summer itrsquoll be interesting to see how Shane Watson adjusts to being an allrounder batting in the number six slotCan workIf it works well hersquoll bring some distinct advantages Watson gives the frontline quicks a breather by delivering a few overs of tidy medium pace and if Australia gets into a strong position he can batter the opposition into submission with his adventurousstrokeplay However if the hole at number three canrsquot be satisfactorily filled he may be deployed there in attempt to plug the gap I suspect Clarke will resist this move as long as possible as he prefers Watson to fulfill the role of allrounderCompared with the major headaches Australia had just a few months ago these are just a minor irritation Once again Australian cricket has displayed tremendous resilience itrsquos a strength based on aggressive play good fast bowling and imaginative captaincy Itrsquos been a productive formula over time and fortunately for Australia the other major Test nations not only find it difficult to counter but also to emulate