BBC SPORT | Cricket | West Indies v India

The Test series defeat against the West Indies has sparked a flurry of criticism of Indian players for their overall performance.

"We lost a golden opportunity... after a gap of 16 years," former skipper and coach Ajit Wadekar said after the Jamaica defeat by 155 runs on Wednesday.

Wadekar is the only Indian skipper who has managed a series victory in the Caribbean, and that was back in 1971.

Before the start of the Test series, he had said the Indian team had the best chance in 16 years to win a series abroad.

"We lost because we didn't click when it mattered," Wadekar said.

Borde joins in

Indian chief selector Chandu Borde has also criticised the national side.

He blamed the batsmen's inability to come good on pacy wickets overseas and suggested fast pitches should be provided at home.

Sachin Tendulkar
Tendulkar managed to cross the 8,000 runs mark

He said the Indian fast bowlers also should share the blame for failing to provide early breakthroughs in Jamaica after India chose to bowl first.

And Wadekar criticised captain Sourav Ganguly's decision to field first in that Test.

"It was wrong. When you don't know the wicket, it is better to bat first as we are not good chasers," he said.

But Borde partly agreed with Ganguly's assessment that the Indian players should be mentally more focussed to win the games.

"To a certain extent he is right. The psychological thing plays a huge part," Borde said.

The Indian media has also come down hard on the team's overseas performance record.

"Same ending, familiar sight for India," blared the headline in the Indian Express while the caption in the Hindustan Times read: "Dream over, Indians wake up to reality."

The Times of India, in its report titled "Windies rip India down the middle" criticised the strong middle-order for not performing when it mattered.