In a recent reflection on India’s cricketing strategies, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has highlighted a significant shift that might have unwittingly impacted the team’s traditional forte against spin bowling. Known for their historic dominance against spin, the Indian team has seen a stark decline in this area, as evidenced by their performance in the recent ODI series against Sri Lanka, where they lost 27 wickets to spinners. This troubling trend has caught the attention of Ten Doeschate, who is now focused on reviving India’s once formidable reputation 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,” Ten Doeschate explained in a candid interview with TalkSport Cricket. He pointed out that the Indian team’s ambition to succeed on fast-paced, bouncy pitches in Australia and England has inadvertently led to a neglect of their core skill set. “One of the challenges that I wasn’t expecting and kind of overlooked is the playing of spin,” he admitted.
India’s recent discomfiture against spin seemed to be a wake-up call for everyone involved. The coach believes that a conscious effort must now be made to refocus on developing techniques and mindsets specifically tailored towards mastering spin bowling. “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 England, and we’ve kind of let playing spin, which was always the strength of the Indian team, fall back a little bit,” Ten Doeschate elaborated. His goal is to reclaim India’s place as the best players of spin in the world, and he appears committed to this mission.
Ten Doeschate will be working under the new head coach Gautam Gambhir, alongside fellow assistant coaches Morne Morkel and Abhishek Nayar. While Morkel will focus predominantly on bowling, Ten Doeschate and Nayar are expected to handle the batting aspects. However, Ten Doeschate has emphasized that the remedy does not necessarily lie in technical adjustments alone. “I don’t think much of what we’re going to bring is technical knowledge to these guys,” he noted.
He believes the shift should primarily be in mental aspects and situational awareness. “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,” he remarked.
The new coaching staff is stepping in at a critical juncture for the team, fresh off a triumph as T20 World Champions. With significant tournaments on the horizon, such as the World Test Championship and the Champions Trophy, the team faces a diverse array of challenges. “It’s exciting and kind of daunting at the same time,” Ten Doeschate acknowledged, describing the blend of enthusiasm and pressure that comes with their tasks ahead.
Ten Doeschate outlined the roadmap the team will follow, emphasizing key milestones. “In terms of what we’re looking forward to, 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] is going to be great,” he said. Such fixtures are crucial, as they present substantial opportunities to recalibrate skills and strategies against different opponents and conditions.
He also emphasized the importance of short-term goals like the preparations for the Champions Trophy, where India has only three ODIs to fine-tune their strategies. This brief preparation period will offer significant challenges in adapting across formats, which is something the team is keen to excel in. “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,” Ten Doeschate pointed out.
Looking further ahead, Ten Doeschate is also excited about encounters like the tour to England in the summer of 2025 and the 2026 T20 World Cup, viewing these events as not just challenges but opportunities for growth and dominance on the world stage. “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.”
With this renewed focus and drive, Ryan ten Doeschate is set on guiding the Indian team back to its pinnacle of spin mastery, ensuring that they are well-rounded and formidable across all formats and conditions.