Sehwag slams Indian pitches

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Dashing batsman Virender Sehwag blasted the Test tracks of Ahmedabad and Mohali and criticized the groundsmen for preparing wickets that did not assist spin.

After scoring a hundred on the lifeless Mohali wicket, which he described as the slowest he has ever played on, Sehwag said India should play to its strength and produce turning tracks.

"We must prepare turning tracks to win. When we go abroad we get hard and green wickets. Why should we produce green wickets here? Why don't the groundsmen make turners?" he asked.

Perhaps, it is not so much the pitch but the Indian mindset that is perturbing. Instead of asking for good, sporting wickets, Sehwag is asking for turning tracks that would not help India's perennial problem of struggling abroad to the rising ball.

Add that to the fact that we are not even winning handsomely at home.

Take a look at series played at home and one will notice that India has failed to make a clean-sweep of any in the last ten years, barring the two-Test series against Zimbabwe in February 2002.

Since the 3-0 clean sweep of Sri Lanka in January 1994, India has been unable to repeat the performance. Maybe, we don't know how to win at home anymore.

Kiwi centurion Craig McMillan pointed out that It is time India woke up to the reality of preparing good tracks.

"The wickets in India need more bounce. When you go overseas -- England, New Zealand and Australia -- you don't compete. You guys can't play the ball above knee height. And that is why your record overseas is abysmal. Your wickets should be improved if you want to make headway overseas," he says.

McMillan said, "India is unbeatable at home but great sides win overseas and India don't win abroad."

He pointed out that New Zealand had won in England, the West Indies and drew the series in Sri Lanka.

"We are winning in all conditions. We were supposed to be on the backfoot through this series but that is not the case. The Indians have been unable to dominate us."

India's performance at home since January 2000: