 After McGrath, what?
 The way Australia have begun the new series against West Indies, they have left no doubt in anyone’s mind that they are still the best side in the world, their recent capitulation to England in the Ashes series notwithstanding. It was a clinical performance by Ricky Ponting (a century in each innings) and his men, led in the bowling department by Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, and backed up splendidly in the second innings by a returning-to-form Brett Lee and relative newcomer Nathan Bracken. Shane Watson too bowled — and batted — impressively before injury laid him low. The lack of fight in the West Indies team was disappointing, but what’s new about that, you may well ask.
 Matthew Hayden’s return to form has been complete and ominous for the West Indies bowlers. Simon Katich is the only frontline batsman still struggling for runs, while the skipper is in blazing form, gunning for the title of best batsman in the world against all comers.
Are Australia really the best team in the world? Was the loss to England only a momentary aberration? Can they consistently beat a team as talented as India, especially under the dynamic new leadership of Dravid and Chappell? Time will tell, because England will tour Australia very soon, and for all the incontrovertible dominance they exerted in England, they won one Test by two runs and another against an Australian combination without the services of the obdurately accurate Glenn McGrath.
 England have at last learned to play Shane Warne with a degree of comfort though never with ease. Even that has largely been made possible by Kevin Pietersen’s and Andrew Flintoff’s bold tactics and Geraint Jones’ cussedness. And this has been the big difference in England’s recent cricket leading to last summer’s wonderful Ashes victory.
The question remains: Can England repeat their performance in Australia with Glenn McGrath fit and available for all Tests and Shane Warne continuing to bowl like the champion he is, with Brett Lee in roaring good form as well? Can the English bowlers achieve the same deadly swing-seam-reverse swing cocktail they did back home? I doubt it.
 Don’t get me wrong, I loved the way England played their cricket last summer, but I doubt that they or any other side in the world can get past that deadly combination from the last paragraph — in Australia.
To turn the question on its head, Australia will surely miss Warne when he is done with Test cricket, and when sadly Stuart Macgill too will perhaps have played his last Test. But the man they will miss most is Glenn McGrath. ‘After McGrath?’ what is a big question.
V Ramnarayan
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