LONDON. June 5 (AP/PTI): Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin faces the prospects of an unceremonious exit from the hottest job in Indian sport after his team's loss to Australia in the Super Six clash Friday at The Oval.

The defeat virtually put India out of the World Cup. unless a series of improbable results fetches them a place in the semifinals.

Australia picked up their first two points in the Super Six league with the 77-run victory over India, who are without any points with two matches remaining.

Captains who failed to live up to the expectations of 900 million cricket-mad Indians have frequently been shown the door in the past.

Azharuddin, going through a lean patch as batsman, knows the fate of Indian cricket's fallen idols but said criticism of his captaincy had been unfair.

'The criticism of my captaincy has been unfair." Azharuddin told reporters Friday. The captain is only as good as his team.".

Azharuddin acknowledged that his own batting form had hit rock bottom but it was

wrong to lay the blame for India's defeat on him alone.

"Eleven players play every game and the captain is just one of them," he said. We simply did not play up to our potential but to blame the captain alone is not done."

Azharuddin said his decision to field first was made as the wicket was under the covers and it was expected to help the fast bowlers because ol the moisture. With India in danger of making a premature exit. Azhar hoped nis team would win the next two games to bring it to a stage where it would boil down to net turn rate.

"Our hope is in calculations at the moment," he added.

Coach Anshuman Gaekwad criticised the lethargic Indian fielding. "We were simply not up to the mark. We did not attack the ball aggressively and our throwing from the deep left a lot to be desired. There is no question we have fielded better than yesterday in this tournament."

Azharuddin attributed India's defeat to loose bowling 'We did not do well because we bowled a bit short in the initial overs." he said.

Gaekwad said the wicket had more bounce than others India had played on. It was much harder.

Azharuddin's leadership has been under fire for the past two months and critics have been baying for his blood after India

failed to make the final of the inaugural Asian Test Championship and suffered three successive one-day defeats against Pakistan.

It did not help Azharuddin's • cause when his deputy Ajay , Jadeja led India to three victories in a triangular one-day-tournament at Sharjah in April. Jadeja had been elevated to the captaincy as Azharuddin suffered an injury midway in the tournament.

Several opinion polls Jn India on the eve of the team's departure for the World Cup ’ termed Jadeja as the first choice to lead India in the premier one-day tournament.

But the officials ignored the chorus of appeals to make Jadeja captain and stuck with Azharuddin, who had already been named skipper.

Azharuddin again faced flak during the World Cup after India’s defeat at the hands of Zimbabwe in the preliminary league but things began looking up again following three straight wins, which took India intb the Super Six stage.

The 36-year-old batsman came back* from a lean phase two years ago to reclaim the Indian captaincy from Sachin Tendulkar, whose batting had wilted under the pressure of leading the team.

It was after a disastrous tour of England in 1996 that Azharuddin had lost the captaincy but three years later he was back to lead India in the third successive World Cup.