How India 'A' proved cricket in the country isn't in strong hands

The Test series in Sri Lanka is a fortnight away and it was good to see captain Virat Kohli play for India "A" against the Australians in Chennai. Viewed from a distance, Kohli’s decision to get valuable batting practice before the tour showed good intent. At a time when most Indian cricketers are crying for rest, with the recent tour to Zimbabwe highlighting it, Kohli did not score a bucketful of runs.

Irrespective of the outcome of the series, in which both the matches were played in Chennai, Kohli knew it was important to get a good feel before leading India on a full Test tour for the first time. For the average cricket fan who idolises Kohli, it is a must to see the dashing batsman score at least a ton. So when he managed only 45 runs in the second innings, it looked short.

Viewed from a different prism, for youngsters like Shreyas Iyer who got to share the dressing room with Kohli, there would be many lessons learnt.

To be sure, there is enough to worry about the India "A" side which ideally should be the feeder for the senior Test side. Playing on a slow wicket which assisted spin, India "A", led by Cheteshwar Pujara, did not do well.

One draw, and a comprehensive loss on Saturday in the second "Test" after a batting failure in the first innings (135) does suggest a lot needs to be done with the team. The good part about the India "A" side is it has in Rahul Dravid a coach who can motivate them. It is for the youngsters to learn from "The Wall" but there is a worry over the youngsters in the side, like Abhinav Mukund, not scoring well enough.

Australian skipper Usman Khawaja could not hide his delight after his side won on Saturday as he talked of how his bowling mix was potent. It is understandable the fast bowlers and medium pacers will deliver for the Aussies, but when Gurinder Sandhu started bowling spin and Steve O’Keefe struck it rich, there was palpable tension as the India "A" batsmen struggled against the slow bowlers.

The myth about the Indian senior team is that when it travels abroad its batting line-up cannot stand up to fast bowlers. But if one looks at the last two away tours to England and Australia, it was not the fast bowlers alone but spinners like Moeen Ali and Nathan Lyon who troubled the Indians.

The pattern seems to be repeating itself and that is cause for worry. As a country with a tradition of playing spin well, whether it is an overdose of instant cricket which is doing the damage or a lack of application from the batsmen needs to be assessed.

Without sounding caustic, we have really not taken India "A" performances very seriously. The story is one of general neglect and losing to the Aussies magnifies the vast chasm which exists between the senior side and the "feeder" team.

Then again, while people complain about spinners like Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra being drafted into the senior Test side, there is a total lack of spin talent when one looks at the "A" side.

Agreed, Baba Aparajith, who should have been scoring runs, took five wickets instead. But if one is looking at young spinners, there is nothing to write home about.

Pragyan Ojha did make a comeback and there was no cause for worry over his action. Yet, the truth is that as one who has taken over 100 Test wickets, he cannot be bracketed as an India "A" player. Should the need arise for bolstering the spin attack on an away tour, it is difficult to imagine Ojha getting picked because of his action.

For the selectors who have followed the two "Tests" against Australia "A", there is reason to worry over the lack of talent. Later this year, the India "A" side will be touring South Africa.

From images which one got to see in some newspapers, the crowds did turn up at the Chepauk. And that is a heartening sign since the general impression is that fans only want to see one day internationals (ODIs) and T20 "instant" cricket.