McGrath would get into most Test sides in history

They are the best side in the world bar none, the series defeat by India on the subcontinent last winter the only significant blip in their progress to the top of the world rankings.

Where they stand in the pantheon of all-time great teams is less easy to judge.

On a player-by-player basis they simply do not have a weak link.

Steve Waugh must rank as the most competitive run-scorer in Test history.

Not the highest run-scorer, nor the man with the best average (although more than 9,000 Test runs at over 50 per innings is spectacular by any standards), but the man who produces when it really, really matters.

His kid brother Mark continues to impress with bat and amaze in the field, his slip catching a wonder of the modern game.

Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, takers of 31 and 32 wickets respectively this summer, would improve any side in history.

Warne bounced back from a terrible series in India the way only a great player could, while McGrath, the human metronome, continued to squeeze out batsmen when others were struggling.

If those four were the superstars, the others weren't far behind.

Adam Gilchrist gave England just one thing all summer - an over-generous declaration in the fourth Test.

That misjudgement apart, he continued his development into the best wicketkeeper/batsman, well, most of us have seen.

His predecessor, Ian Healy, and West Indian Jeff Dujon, not to mention Alan Knott and Rod Marsh, could all add batting talent to their stumping skills.

But Gilchrist would make most Test sides on his ferocious run-scoring alone.

Warne has plenty of years left in him

Where Healy was gritty, Dujon occasionally exciting and Knott and Marsh keepers first and foremost, Gilchrist is a devastating counter-attacker who can turn games - and that is without considering his athleticism behind the stumps.

Jason Gillespie would be the number one strike bowler for any of Australia's rivals.

Brett Lee provided raw pace and aggression - although he failed to live up to his pre-tour billing.

Damien Martyn ridiculed his previous standing as a substitute with two fine centuries, Matty Hayden provided solidity while Justin Langer took his chance the way England's replacements - Butcher aside - failed to do.

Ricky Ponting threatened more than he delivered and Michael Slater ended with fewer runs than his talent merits.

But at no stage was either player ever less than an integral part of the Aussie set-up.

The team's togetherness was not just a reflection of their success; it was a major reason for it.

This side has taken Test cricket to a new level, and in the process reinvigorated the five-day form of the game.

The biggest examination they now face won't come from the forthcoming visits of New Zealand and South Africa, but from the problems of replacing like with like.

Will Gilchrist grow into the captain's role?

Over the past decade, Australia have kept improving because they have been able to successfully bring in younger players to replace retiring greats.

The captaincy passed from Allan Border to Mark Taylor and then on to Steve Waugh - three captains in 17 years.

But the Waughs are in their 37th year, and Gilchrist's turn at the helm will come sooner rather than later.

One can't help but feel that, despite the abilities of the next generation, the side Gilchrist leads will be weaker for the absence of Tugga and Twinny.

Add that to the current team's record, attitude and personnel, and it may mean that the class of 2001 will remain the best Test side in memory for some time.