India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has identified an intriguing trend within the Indian cricket team—one that could be impacting their traditional edge. According to ten Doeschate, the vigorous emphasis on mastering high-quality fast bowling to excel overseas might have inadvertently led to a decline in the team’s prowess against spin bowling. This observation comes after a rather unsettling performance in the recent ODI series against Sri Lanka, where a nearly full-strength Indian side was bamboozled by spin, losing as many as 27 wickets.
In his interview with TalkSport Cricket, ten Doeschate expressed his concerns and eagerness to address this issue. “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,” he remarked. “I guess one of the challenges that I wasn’t expecting and kind of overlooked is the playing of spin.”
He continued, shedding light on the recent debacle in Sri Lanka. “We were undone in Sri Lanka, and I think 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.”
Ryan ten Doeschate, along with Morne Morkel and Abhishek Nayar, forms a trio of assistant coaches working under the newly appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir. While Morkel focuses on refining the bowling department, addressing the batting issues falls predominantly on the shoulders of Nayar and ten Doeschate. The Dutchman clarified that their approach would be more psychological than 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, de-briefing, and keeping the mental space really good.
. That’s going to be really important.”
Taking the helm at a momentous point for Indian cricket, the new coaching staff inherits a team that has recently tasted the glory of T20 World Cup victory. Ahead lie significant challenges, including the World Test Championship (WTC) and the Champions Trophy. This transitory phase offers both thrilling opportunities and considerable challenges for the new coaching regime. “It’s exciting and kind of daunting at the same time,” ten Doeschate admitted. “In terms of what we’re looking forward to, 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.”
The stakes extend beyond the immediate future as they set their sights on the medium-term objectives. “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.”
Looking even further ahead, ten Doeschate shared his enthusiasm for upcoming tours that are lined up for the Indian team. “Then in the next WTC cycle, the tour to England in the summer of 2025 is going to be fantastic and then prepping the team for the 2026 T20 World Cup. In terms of timing, it’s quite difficult to walk into a team that’s just come back with the World Cup, but in terms of what’s ahead for the next 18 months, it’s mouth-watering as a coach. It’s all the series you want to be involved in and all the challenges you want to come up against.”
In summary, ten Doeschate recognizes that while India’s recent strategy shift has succeeded in making the team a formidable force against pace attacks globally, it has come at a cost. By rebalancing their approach and focusing again on their erstwhile strength—playing spin—the new coaching squad aims to restore India’s dominance in all aspects of the game. As they prepare for a whirlwind schedule packed with high-stakes series and tournaments, this balancing act will be crucial for sustaining India’s cricketing supremacy.