B-737 CREW INBOUND TO CVG RECEIVE A DSCNT AND A XING RESTRICTION LATE FROM A ZID ARTCC RADAR CTLR.

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ON THE MOSEY ARR FOR CVG ARPT; FL 230; APPROX 20 MI W OF ABB VOR. WE HAD BEEN TOLD TO MAINTAIN MAX FORWARD SPEED FOR SPACING TO CVG; AND WERE DOING APPROX 335 KIAS. NO CALL TO 'ANTICIPATE XING...' HAD BEEN MADE FROM INDY CENTER. 20 MI W OF ABB; INDY CENTER DIRECTS US TO CROSS SARGO INTXN (9 MI E OFF ABB) AT 11000 FT AND MAINTAIN THAT ALT. BY THE TIME WE RECEIVED THE CALL/REPLIED; WE WERE ALREADY WAY BEHIND A 3:1 DSCNT PROFILE. A NEW FO WAS FLYING THIS LEG AND STARTED A 1000-1500 FPM DSCNT. I TOLD HIM WE REALLY NEEDED TO GET DOWN; AND DIRECTED A MAX DSCNT. AS WE WERE PASSING 13000 FT; WE RAPIDLY APCHED AN OVSCT LAYER; AND THE FO SLOWED TOWARDS 280 KIAS (TURBULENCE PENETRATION AIRSPEED). THIS EFFECTIVELY SLOWED OUR DSCNT TO ALMOST NOTHING. I RE-INITIATED A GREATER DSCNT. WE CROSSED SARGO INTXN AT APPROX 11600 FT; AND WERE AT 11000 FT AT 11 DME (2 MI PAST SARGO). NO KNOWN CONFLICT WITH OTHER TFC. ALSO; IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS WHOLE SCENARIO; WE WERE GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE FROM INDY CENTER TO CVG APCH. INDY CENTER IS NOTORIOUS FOR LAST MIN XING RESTRICTIONS. WHETHER ON THE MOSEY; TARNE OR CINCE ARRS; THEY ISSUE EXTREMELY LATE INSTRUCTIONS; AND USUALLY ALSO GIVE A SPEED REDUCTION/RESTRICTION; AS WELL. THIS MAKES COMPLIANCE VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE; AND AFTER RESULTS IN A STARTLING DSCNT FOR THE PAXS.