India’s assistant coach, Ryan ten Doeschate, a luminary in the cricketing world, has recently expressed his belief that a paradigm shift towards mastering fast bowling might have had the unintended consequence of weakening India’s traditionally strong front against spin. In a candid conversation with TalkSport Cricket, ten Doeschate shed light on an issue that has become increasingly apparent following India’s recent ODI series against Sri Lanka, where a near full-strength Indian side was dismantled by spin, losing 27 wickets in the process.
“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 remarked. “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.”
The assistant coach went on to elucidate the broader implications of this shift in focus. “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.”
Ten Doeschate is part of an innovative coaching team assembled under the new stewardship of head coach Gautam Gambhir. Alongside him, former South African fast bowler Morne Morkel is set to play a pivotal role in enhancing the bowling department, while Abhishek Nayar and ten Doeschate himself will address the batting issues. However, ten Doeschate emphasizes that their approach will not be overly technical.
“I don’t think much of what we’re going to bring is technical knowledge to these guys,” he explained. “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.
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The new coaching regime is stepping in at a critical phase of the Indian cricket team’s evolution. Fresh off their triumph as T20 World Champions, the Indian squad now has their eyes set on other prestigious accolades, including the World Test Championship (WTC) and the Champions Trophy. Ten Doeschate recognizes both the challenges and the opportunities that lie ahead.
“It’s exciting and kind of daunting at the same time,” he said, his voice tinged with a mix of anticipation and cautious optimism. “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, which is going to be great.”
The medium-term objectives also occupy a significant place in the team’s agenda, with particular attention to 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 further ahead, ten Doeschate outlines the long-term goals which include the next WTC cycle and the tour to England in the summer of 2025. “The tour to England 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.”
He wraps up by reflecting on the opportunities these future series present. “It’s all the series you want to be involved in and all the challenges you want to come up against,” he concluded, clear-eyed about the magnitude of the task that lies ahead but equally invigorated by the possibilities it brings.
As India’s cricket team stands at the cusp of a new era, ten Doeschate’s mission to reclaim their prowess against spin represents both a nod to their storied past and a commitment to ensuring they remain competitive on multiple fronts in the coming months and years.