India A make their long way home

Indeed, there is some confusion over the team’s whereabouts. BCCI executive secretary Sharad Diwadkar told The Indian Express on Thursday that ‘efforts were being made (to get the team back) but there seemed to be a paucity of tickets’ and said team manager Wing Commander Jha should be contacted.

However, staff at the team hotel in Bridgetown, Barbados, said the Indians had left for London on Wednesday night.

It’s been a disappointing tour for the side led by VVS Laxman, which failed to make the semifinals of the Carib Beer Series. Bad luck hit the team before the last match against West Indies ‘B’ when their Laxman and left-arm spinner Murali Karthik withdrew with injuries.

Their absence meant that the tourists managed to just about hold onto an exciting draw and finish fifth in the eight team competition. The Indians had two wins and two losses out of their seven matches.

Fast bowler Aavishkar Salvi was one of the few bright spots in the tour. He was the most impressive bowler, with 29 wickets from five matches under his kitty, a best of 5/39, three 5-wicket hauls and one 10-wicket haul and an average of 18.55.

Leggie Amit Mishra snared 26 victims (best 5/30 averaging 24.42 and three 5-wicket hauls).

With the bat, Delhi lads Gautam Gambhir and Aakash Chopra enjoyed themselves on the true surfaces hitting 617 (avg 47.46) and 537 runs (41.30) respectively from their seven matches.

Gambhir, with a best of 107, managed one hundred and four fifties, Chopra’s 174 was his highest and he had four fifties too.