India’s assistant coach, Ryan ten Doeschate, has shed light on a critical issue that has recently emerged for the Indian cricket team—a distinct drop in proficiency against spin bowling. Historically known for their adeptness in handling spin, the Indian team seems to have shifted its focus towards mastering fast bowling to perform well overseas, particularly on tours to Australia and England. This shift, according to ten Doeschate, may be the reason behind India’s unexpected vulnerability against spin in their recent cricketing endeavors.
A recent instance highlighting this trend was the One Day International (ODI) series against Sri Lanka where a near full-strength Indian side saw as many as 27 of their wickets fall to spin. This surprising turn of events has prompted ten Doeschate to address this issue head-on. “The Indian mindset has become so driven to do well overseas that the focus has moved away from what was once their strength-playing spin,” ten Doeschate mentioned in an interview with TalkSport Cricket. “I guess one of the challenges that I wasn’t expecting and kind of overlooked is the playing of spin.”
He further elaborated on how the Indian team’s efforts to perform exceptionally in overseas conditions might have inadvertently led to this shortcoming. “The mindset of the Indians has been such that they are so driven to do well overseas. I think the focus has moved to doing well in Australia and doing well in England, and we’ve kind of let playing spin, which was always the strength of the Indian team, fall back a little bit. So, that’s one thing I’m looking forward to, helping get to that position where Indians are the best players of spin in the world again,” stated ten Doeschate.
Ryan ten Doeschate is one of the three assistant coaches working under Gautam Gambhir, the newly appointed head coach of the Indian team. While Morne Morkel is expected to contribute significantly to the bowling department, the responsibility of resolving batting issues, including the handling of spin, will be shared between Abhishek Nayar and ten Doeschate. Ten Doeschate emphasized that the remedial work would not be overly technical. “I don’t think much of what we’re going to bring is technical knowledge to these guys,” he said. “It’s more about mindsets, situational awareness, how we think they can control certain phases of the game. It’s about throwing ideas out there, debriefing, and keeping the mental space really good.
. That’s going to be really important.”
India finds itself at a pivotal juncture with a string of significant cricketing commitments on the horizon. Following their recent triumph in the T20 World Cup, the team’s next major targets include the World Test Championship (WTC) and the Champions Trophy. “It’s exciting and kind of daunting at the same time,” ten Doeschate expressed. “Qualifying for the WTC final is a great opportunity with 10 Tests left, five in India over the next couple of months, and then going to Australia for five more at the end of 2024. It’s certainly going to be challenging but also incredibly motivating.”
He also touched upon the logistical and mental challenges posed by the multiple formats of the game that India will switch between. “Then in the medium term, there’s the Champions Trophy. With only three ODIs left in the prep phase, it’s going to be really challenging to switch between the formats and get the team ready for that, which again is something they’re desperate to win. Then in the next WTC cycle, the tour to England in the summer of 2025 is going to be fantastic, followed by prepping the team for the 2026 T20 World Cup.”
Ten Doeschate acknowledged the intricate timing of stepping into a coaching role just after India’s T20 World Cup win but is optimistic about the future. “It’s quite difficult walking into a team that’s just come back with the World Cup,” he remarked. “But in terms of what’s ahead for the next 18 months, it’s mouth-watering as a coach. These are all the series you want to be involved in and all the challenges you want to come up against.”
India’s coaching staff, therefore, have their work cut out for them as they aim to restore their erstwhile dominance against spin while continuing to perform well on the fast bouncy pitches overseas. The cricketing world will keenly watch how ten Doeschate’s strategies unravel and help India reclaim their prowess against spin, a skill that has been an integral part of their cricketing heritage.