SYDNEY, Jan 1: India are poised to replace England as Australia's major cricketing rival, Australia's retiring captain Steve Waugh said on Thursday. Waugh said the growing rivalry between Australia and India was starting to match the intensity of the traditional Ashes matches with England.

"The platform is there," Waugh told a news conference on the eve of the deciding Test with India. "The last two series have been phenomenal. India are going to be a very strong force in world cricket for a long time to come."

While the Ashes has lost some of its aura in recent years with Australia racking up a record sequence of eight series wins, Australia's clashes with India have rapidly grown in stature.

Waugh, whose retirement has added to the significance of the occasion, said the Border-Gavaskar trophy which the two countries play for was quickly becoming one of the sport's great prizes.

"There's no reason why India and Australia can't really get something special in the future together," Waugh said. "The Border-Gavaskar trophy will hopefully be as famous as the Ashes one day."

Meanwhile, Injured batsmen should be prevented from using runners, Waugh said. Waugh, who once scored a century against England while batting on one leg, said the practice of injured batsman calling for runners should be abolished from the game.

"I don't think you should have runners as a batsman, bowlers, when they get injured, don't have any help," Waugh told reporters. "I think batsmen if they get injured, they've got to play their shots or get out.

"There's a lot of confusion when runners get on the field, and over whether the guy is actually injured." Waugh made an unbeaten 157 against England at The Oval in 2001 when he batted injured.

The Australian skipper had torn his calf muscle in an earlier match but made it back for the last game of the series after weeks of intensive physiotherapy.He injured the calf again during the test but decided to battle on in pain.

Asked by reporters what other rules needed changing, Waugh nominated the scrapping of leg byes: "I don't see any reason why you should get runs when you miss the ball," he explained. -Reuters