Steve Waugh regarded the Test series in India as the "Final Frontier". Despite all his efforts to make Australia the ultimate superpower, he never quite managed to conquer the last bastion.

Of course, Ricky Ponting's team made history by clinching the evasive win a year after Waugh's retirement (although he only actually played in the final game which they lost). The latest, failed attempt has proved to be the most negative and difficult tour since the Ashes defeat in 2005.

What Waugh did achieve was to win the hearts and minds of the people, mainly through his funding for underprivileged children in Calcutta, but also in his genuine desire to use cricket in building bridges. His worldview was a little more rounded than his successor.

After a couple of fractious series with the Indians, perhaps the Tasmanian devil (in the eyes of some sections of the Australian press) may want to step back and reassess his attitude when it comes to dealing with public relations. While Waugh had skin as thick as a crocodile, Ponting appears to be over sensitive to any kind of criticism or perceived slight.

It has been a difficult year for the Australian captain. His handling of a threatened Indian boycott during the home series in January was arrogant in the extreme, especially in the light of the racial clashes that were at the heart of the issue. Under Ponting, Australia have been truly magnificent at winning, but the last 12 months has seen more friction and "afters" than is healthy for the so-called spirit of the game.

While Waugh applied mental disintegration techniques and sledging on the pitch, he generally kept a tight rein on his players. Shane Warne's praise of his captaincy is underwhelming. It is interesting that Warne notes of Ponting, whom he rates 18 places higher in a list of the top 100 cricketers: "He doesn't stand on ceremony or worry about reputations if he feels strongly about something."

Perhaps this is Punter's greatest strength and weakness. The man is neither a natural statesman or diplomat when the walls are closing in.

To be fair, he has been leading a team that has simply been ill-equipped to cope. At times, Australia have looked as forlorn as England were in Sri Lanka, oppressed and irritable in the field, sluggish and subdued with the bat. Their run rate often dropped to 2.5 an over, nowhere near what we have become accustomed to from the originators of aggressive scoring.

Much was made of Brett Lee and the captain's handbags at five paces, but the one time Australia stamped their authority in a game was at Bangalore when they batted first, scored big and should have won.

That they didn't acted as a big fillip for the hosts. Zaheer Khan gloated: "They know they can't take 20 wickets and they are on the back foot. They couldn't get me or Harbhajan Singh out. So we are in with a big chance. They are under pressure - we know that."

Normally such taunts would be enough to generate a huge response from a wounded baggy green. This time they simply could not impose themselves. They were neutered. Ponting, Michael Clarke and Matthew Hayden had their moments, but couldn't dominate.

When they lost in England, Australia had a good look at themselves, decided on a brutal revenge mission and swept all before them. Until now. They are still the team to beat - you wouldn't want to play them after they have just lost - but once New Zealand are duly swept aside, the real challenge awaits.

Tim Ellis