What needs to

BY RitAM MitRA

With the abysmal state of the Indian cricket team, change must begin at the grassroots level

writing about Indian cricket has always carried with it a subconscious undertone of melodrama. How tough it is then, to write a level piece on the current state of affairs in the Indian cricket team. Indian cricket is in disarray, and is now at a stage where it is perhaps beyond the scope of any analyst to pinpoint exactly what has gone wrong. The situation barely needs retelling – India have dropped the first 3 tests of the series they were expected to win, and go into the final test at Adelaide as rank outsiders. There have been calls for a widespread restructuring of the game in India, and it is in this vein that we will take a look at where the climb back to the top has to begin.

Outdated pitches

The problem, for me, begins at the grass-roots level – literally. The argument has been around for some time now, but the side’s good performances masked the urgency of the matter.

Subcontinental pitches have perennially been flat, turning dustbowls, and these were fine – ideal even, when India was accepting of its inability to compete overseas. The same pitches are in use now as they were then - a throwback to the era when the pacemen (a term used extremely lightly) would bowl an over or two with the new ball to scuff it up and give the ball some grip for the spinners to work with. Now, India have genuine fast bowlers – just as they did 4 years ago. Munaf Patel, once India’s fastest, is now at best a medium-fast trundler. RP Singh and Irfan Pathan are but two more casualties of the poor conditions in India. The time has come for Indian pitches to change.

Sri Lanka and Pakistan (and even their current “home” venue, Dubai) all boast similar conditions at home. Travel abroad, however, and it’s a whole different story. Australia is fast and bouncy, while South Africa perhaps takes that a touch further sometimes. England and New Zealand are both friendly to seam and swing – and as India recently