Kings of grade cricket but lagging behind where it counts

At the end of a tournament in which teams from all over Asia took part, the top three batsmen in terms of runs scored were Indians. The top name in the wicket taker's list is an Indian name. The Indian wicket-keeper was adjudged the best stumper of the tournament.

No, this is not a fantasy. This is not something a bored statistician generated. This is what happened at the Asian Cricket Council Under-15 tournament which concluded in Malaysia on Sunday. Small wonder that India won seven matches on the trot and walked away with the trophy.

Roger Binny is a contented man once more. When he coached the Indian Under-19 team in the World Cup in Sri Lanka, he enjoyed an unbeaten streak. On that occasion, India beat Sri Lanka in the final. The youth World Cup was held when the national side was taking a beating in Australia. The situation is much the same this time around. After a dismal showing in the Asia Cup in Dhaka, the Indian senior team has been under fire.

The Under-15 side has done enough to show that things are well with Indian cricket at some level. If the youth sides dominate all other opposition so completely, then where is Indian cricket going wrong at the senior level? Why is it that these sides lose all conviction when moving into the highest level? A lot of head scratching later one can only come to some obvious conclusions.

To say that cricketers mature later in countries outside the sub continent warrants some attention. However, what could be more critical is the fact that the levels of coaching in India leave a lot to be desired. The transition from raw material to finished product rarely ever happens in a satisfactory manner. This is one area in which India is clearly lagging behind.

Binny is in a good position to do something about that. Having seen success at the junior levels, and as one of the coaches in the National Cricket Academy, he is in a position to track a junior cricketer's progress to the very highest level.

When he was asked whether he wanted to spend more time with the victorious Under-19 side after their triumph in Sri Lanka, Binny said that such a scenario would be ideal but hardly feasible. When this Under-15 side returns from Malaysia they will be together for a while longer. The Costcutter Challenge World Cup, that begins in England on July 30, will see the team play together again. In the meantime, there might just be time for one more coaching camp together. That might still be enough to adequately prepare the team for the World Cup. But the bigger picture remains the same.

Ambati Tirupati Rayudu. Mrigen Talukdar. Abhinav Kumar. Palash Jothi Das. Heroes of Under-15 cricket. What will it take to make sure we hear more from them in the future? People will begin to ask that question soon. If the board manages to answer that question successfully, Indian cricket will get on the right track.