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No clue how to stop the Indians, says Taylor

Australia went to the subcontinent with nine straight series wins, and the unofficial status of the world's best cricket team.

India's commanding victory in Calcutta on Saturday, one day inside the distance, stripped captain Mark Taylor of the first part of the equation, and cast doubt on the second.

A day after the defeat, when the touring side should have been looking to regroup for the third Test, beginning Wednesday in Bangalore, Taylor was still trying to digest Australia's fourth-worst loss in 580 Tests spread over 121 years, and easily the side's worst defeat 1960.

"We have to rethink our strategy,'' Taylor told reporters. "Frankly, we don't have a clue as to how to stop the Indians.''

Australia's next assignment is a series against Pakistan in October -- which would rank as even tougher than the tour to India now ongoing. And on how quickly Australia can analyse its performance here would depend the answer to how well it will perform on the pitches of India's neighbouring country

"It was undoubtedly the worst loss I've experienced as captain,'' Taylor said of the Calcutta collapse.

Taylor said tiredness from a heavy season was a factor, but he found Australia's poor batting displays in both Tests hard to fathom.

However, he said out-of-form batsmen Michael Slater and Greg Blewett were likely to hold their spots for the final Test at Bangalore.

Vice captain Steve Waugh, with 142 runs, is only top six bat to score more than 100 runs in the four Test innings -- but he will miss the last Test because of a groin injury.

Michael Bevan flew out of Sydney today as a possible replacement, but Taylor hinted the only change would be Darren Lehmann to make his long-awaited Test debut in place of Waugh.

This would mean a reprieve for Blewett and the recently recalled Slater, who have managed just 39 and 29 runs respectively in the series.

"I think it's too early to be singling out individuals and saying this bloke should never play again or he has to be dropped,'' Taylor said. "I think a tiredness is drifting into our cricket.''

Aside from the batting woes and the pre-tour loss of Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie through injury, australia's biggest problem was the form of Shane Warne.

Warne's 0-147 from 42 overs in Calcutta was the worst figures of his career, and he looked nothing like a bowler who has dominated world cricket for five years and taken 308 Test wickets.

"He is still bowling well but he is not bowling at his best and that sums up how we are playing as well,'' Taylor said.