Former Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh admits old enemies England are setting standards that the rest of the world has to aspire to match in Test cricket.
Waugh captained Australia during his country's dominant run in the Test arena and presided over several triumphs in Ashes showdowns against England.
But he concedes that England's rise to the top of the ICC Test rankings under skipper Andrew Strauss has been an impressive achievement.
Strauss has led England to a pair of series victories over Australia and they took pole position in the rankings with a whitewash of previous leaders India.
Waugh believes the key to England's success has been their ability to show a ruthless streak that had been lacking from their talented but fragile predecessors and says they now have good depth in their side.
