India tour less than memorable By Adrian Robson Sports Editor Publicly, India's Test players were the gracious guests one would expect, accommodating autograph hunters, chatting to fans and offering thanks for the `wonderful hospitality'.

Privately, we suspect, their impression of Bermuda was one that will leave few lingering memories.

Cricket was the sole purpose of their abbreviated visit, yet as anybody who attended either of the two matches will attest, what transpired over both days bore little resemblance to how the game should be played.

The first match proved such a one-sided affair, India resorted to bowlers who barely knew how to grip the ball, while their batsmen decided there was no need to run singles or doubles, instead relying almost solely on boundaries to amass an unheard-of total of 404 in 50 overs.

Saturday's second outing was even more farcical.

An over-watered pitch, rendering the strip unplayable, delayed play for 72 minutes after which India, quite rightly, refused to bat on a wicket which they felt was dangerous.

The incident wasn't without precedent. New Zealand's Test team were greeted with a similar damp and dangerous pitch at the same St. David's venue just last May. Obviously, nothing was learned from that experience.

Thus, Saturday's game, rather than showcase India's considerable talents against the best Bermuda had to offer, developed into a contest of little or no interest.

Forced to bat first, Bermuda -- missing as many as five players from the squad which competed at the ICC Trophy in Malaysia -- were quickly in trouble at 2-2 and then 3-5, and had India not sportingly again brought on their part-time bowlers, the match might have been over long before most of the crowd had chance to finish their first fish sandwich.

As it was, the locals could muster just 138, a total the tourists knocked off without help from acclaimed skipper/batsman Sachin Tendulkar, the player most had paid to watch.

What benefit, if any, Bermuda derived from this two-match tour is difficult to assess.

While Bermuda can't, certainly under the current administration, be expected to beat incoming Test teams, as radio commentator Jim Woolridge explained on Saturday, there was a time when our national squad included several players who were considered of English county standard and would always be at least competitive.

If visiting Test players were to score a century or pick up a hatful of wickets, they were made to work for their rewards.

Sadly, that's no longer the case.

And there seems little point in subjecting our current crop of players to such overwhelming, demoralising defeats, when Bermuda Cricket Board of Control could spend their money more wisely on improving the domestic programme.

Following the events of Malaysia where players were suspected of smoking marijuana and where there were reportedly more fireworks off the field than on, the BCBC's credibility could have been partially restored by a successful incoming tour.

Instead, their standing has continued to spiral downwards.

If ever there was a need for a complete shake-up within Bermuda's cricket administration, it is now.

WORLD CLASS? -- A poor pitch for skipper Sachin Tendulkar and the Indian tour team did nothing to improve the image of Bermuda cricket.