India’s assistant coach, Ryan ten Doeschate, holds a firm belief that a shift in focus towards mastering high-quality fast bowling has inadvertently led to the weakening of India’s traditional strength against spin bowling. Historically, India has been lauded for its players’ exceptional abilities to handle spin, but a recent setback has raised concerns. A nearly full-strength Indian squad suffered a startling loss of 27 wickets to spin during their recent ODI series against Sri Lanka. Ten Doeschate is eager to address this issue and restore India’s dominance against spin.
In an exclusive interview with TalkSport Cricket, Ten Doeschate opened up about the current state of Indian cricket and the underlying reasons for their troubles against spin. “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,” remarked ten Doeschate. He emphasized that the prevailing ambition to excel in countries like Australia and England has inadvertently sidelined the once innate proficiency at playing spin.
He continued, “I guess one of the challenges that I wasn’t expecting and kind of overlooked is the playing of spin. [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 is one of three newly-appointed assistant coaches who will serve under the stewardship of the head coach, Gautam Gambhir. While Morne Morkel is slated to bring extensive expertise to India’s bowling department, ten Doeschate, along with Abhishek Nayar, will address the issues surrounding India’s batting lineup. Interestingly, ten Doeschate averred that the remedial measures would be more psychological than technical in nature. “I don’t think much of what we’re going to bring is technical knowledge to these guys,” he stated.
The focus, according to ten Doeschate, will be on “mindsets, situational awareness, and helping the players 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.” Essentially, the blueprint to rectify India’s batters’ issues against spin will be predominantly focused on strengthening mental resolve and tactical acumen.
The new coaching team steps into their roles at a particularly exciting and challenging time for Indian cricket. The Indian team recently clinched the world champion title in the T20 format and has significant ambitions moving forward. They are eyeing the World Test Championship (WTC) and the Champions Trophy, both of which present substantial goals on the horizon. “It’s exciting and kind of daunting at the same time,” ten Doeschate mentioned regarding the upcoming calendar for the team.
Outlining the upcoming milestones, ten Doeschate highlighted the team’s immediate goal: “Qualifying for the WTC final. There’s 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. That’s going to be great.”
The medium-term aspirations also paint a formidable picture, with the Champions Trophy around the corner. “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,” he added.
Looking even further ahead, ten Doeschate mentioned crucial assignments such as the next WTC cycle, an exciting tour to England in the summer of 2025, and the preparations 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,” he concluded.
The task ahead for Ryan ten Doeschate and his fellow coaches is immense, but the roadmap they are laying out emphasizes reinvigorating India’s traditional strengths while also navigating the complexities of modern cricket challenges. The coming months promise to be a compelling blend of intense preparation and strategic evolution for one of cricket’s most storied teams.