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Infuriated by India’s humiliating 4-0 series defeat in England, the local media lashed out at the cricket board yesterday, accusing the governing body of pursuing riches instead of developing the Test team.
The 50-over world champions arrived in England as the top-ranked side in Test cricket but their consistent poor displays, coupled with a spate of injuries to key players, led to India’s first series whitewash in 11 years.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s first series defeat as captain pushed India down to the third place in the rankings, described as “A Crying Shame” by the Times of India, which held the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) responsible for the debacle.
“BCCI stands for Board of Control for Cricket in India. It could even be referred to as Bombastic, Callous, Chaotic and Incorrigible,” it blasted, a day after England secured a fourth crushing win by an innings and eight runs at the Oval.
“Post India’s world cup victory, the board had the ideal chance to show the world that it was serious about not just generating 70% of world cricket’s income but about creating a congenial environment for the team to prosper in the longer format too.
“Instead of giving new coach Duncan Fletcher a side that was fighting fit to take on a buoyant and in-form England outfit, they made all the key players go through IPL (India’s lucrative Twenty20 league) just six days after an emotionally and physically draining World Cup.”
The Hindustan Times called the body a “Board of No Control”, lamenting its lack of professionalism and providing graphic details of how Australia, England and South Africa run their cricket boards.
The newspaper held BCCI, “flush with cash, bereft of proper management”, responsible for India’s “England Bummer” as the tourists appeared helpless in their attempt to prevent the hosts from marching towards the top of the rankings.
For a change, the players were spared, many sympathising with them for being put through a punishing schedule.
India’s world cup victory was preceded by a tour of South Africa and less than a week after winning one-day cricket’s biggest trophy in Mumbai, Dhoni and his men were playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
A tour of the West Indies soon followed and by the time they landed in England, most of the players were either jaded or injured.
Batting great Sunil Gavaskar was stunned by the ease of the home team’s victories—England won the first Test by 196 runs, the second by 319 runs, the third by an innings and 242 runs and the fourth by an innings and eight runs.
“Losing is part of the game but for a top-ranked side to lose so badly is inexcusable,” Gavaskar said during television commentary from the Oval, adding India were “pathetic” through the series.
“England were magnificent, they were much superior to India and much better prepared. But I did expect the Indian team to show more fight than they did in the four Tests.”
The final day’s play symbolised the state of the series as India, who were coasting at 262 for three after a century stand between Sachin Tendulkar and Amit Mishra, lost their last seven wickets for 21 runs.
Tendulkar’s dismissal, nine runs short of his 100th international century, disappointed his army of fans. But the Hindustan Times was glad the landmark was not achieved on such an inglorious day for the national side.
According to the paper, any celebrations over the hundred would have “overshadowed” the failings that must be addressed.
The Times of India could find few reasons to be cheerful, with a lack of top young players to revive the side’s fortunes in the months ahead.
“Some fairytales end in tears; this one went wrong from the first day itself. It will not be a bed of roses, at least not for some time,” it said.
Former captain Ravi Shastri, now a television commentator, said he feared for India’s Test future and hoped emerging players with the potential to master the five-day game would be earmarked by selectors.
“It’s time for Indian cricket to identify a bunch of players who are specifically suited to different formats of the game,” Shastri wrote in the Times of India.