India's cricket chief has given a robust defence of the national team after humiliating Test losses in Australia, saying his players will soon set the record straight on home soil.
"Australia play better in their home conditions, it will be different when they come to India," said Narayanaswamy Srinivasan, president of the under-fire Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
"New Zealand is coming to India next and that will be followed by England and Australia.
"We will beat these three teams on our own soil. They cannot beat us here and we will feel very happy."
Australia smashed India by an innings and 37 runs inside three days in Perth to clinch the four-match series, after romping home in Melbourne by 122 runs and Sydney by an innings and 68 runs.
It was India's seventh successive Test loss abroad, following a 4-0 rout in England last year, in a dismal run that has taken the shine off its limited-overs World Cup victory at home last April.
However, Srinivasan focused on the example of India's 5-0 rout of England in a one-day series last October.
"England won in England, but they came here within a month and lost 5-0," he said.
"After our loss in England, I had said we will beat them when they visit India. That's what happened."
India is not due to play an overseas Test series until the tour of South Africa in late 2013 and the next home series against New Zealand in September is still eight months away.
Former captain Kapil Dev slammed the cash-rich BCCI for short-sighted policies, saying the obsession with profits was ruining the game in India.
"They (BCCI) are doing extremely well when it comes to making money and controlling world cricket," Dev said.
"But what is the use if your team fails to win matches abroad?"
Former captain Sunil Gavaskar has called for "a lot of soul searching" while another ex-skipper, Sourav Ganguly, said selectors must "change their policies" and inject fresh talent into the team.
"The players too need to take a long, hard look at themselves. As batsmen, they need to look at the shots they played, as bowlers they need to see the length they bowled," Gavaskar said.
Indian chairman of selectors Kris Srikkanth admitted he was bewildered by the team's capitulation in Australia.
"We are totally devastated," Srikkanth said.
"It is quite disappointing in the manner we have played in Australia. Now sitting in Chennai, it is difficult for me to pinpoint a particular reason as to what went wrong.
"Definitely our batting has failed consistently throughout the series."
India faces another daunting challenge in the fourth and final Test in Adelaide next week following the suspension of skipper MS Dhoni for slow over rates.
Underperforming opener Virender Sehwag, who is averaging only 19.66 in the series, is expected to step up from the vice-captaincy to lead the side.
Wriddhiman Saha is a contender to replace Dhoni while veteran batsmen Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman are under pressure to hold their spots with Rohit Sharma pushing for his debut.
However Srikkanth said Laxman will be safe for now, unless he decided to jump.
"If Laxman decides to retire, I cannot say anything. But we will take stock of the situation only in September," he said.
"If you people want me, as the chairman of selection committee, to take the blame upon myself, I am ready to do that. But will that solve the problem?
"You have guys who had scored 8000-10,000 runs in Test cricket and all of a sudden your top six recognised batsmen are failing together.
"This is a collective failure."
The Indians had a day off today but are expected to train at the WACA nets on Tuesday, which was scheduled to be day five of the Test.
AFP/AAP
Tags: sport, cricket, australia, india First posted January 16, 2012 22:28:42
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