India’s assistant coach, Ryan ten Doeschate, is focused on reviving the Indian batters’ traditional strength against spin bowling as the team gears up for a crucial home season with five Test matches—two against Bangladesh and three against New Zealand.
Ten Doeschate believes that India’s emphasis on facing high-quality fast bowling in challenging overseas conditions may have inadvertently weakened their prowess against spin, a skill that was once their hallmark. This decline was starkly highlighted during the recent ODI series against Sri Lanka, where India lost 27 wickets to spin across three matches—the most by any team in a three-match ODI series.
“One of the challenges I wasn’t expecting and kind of overlooked is how Indian batters are playing spin,” ten Doeschate told TalkSport Cricket. “We got undone in Sri Lanka.”
Teaming up with fellow assistant coaches Morne Morkel and Abhishek Nayar, ten Doeschate is committed to addressing this issue. While Morkel will focus on the bowling department, ten Doeschate and Nayar will work on refining the batting lineup, particularly against spin.
“The mindset of India has been so focused on performing well overseas—especially in Australia and England—that we’ve allowed our spin game, which was always a strength, to slip a bit,” ten Doeschate explained. “I’m excited to help bring that back and make Indian batters the best players of spin in the world again.”
Rather than focusing on technical adjustments, ten Doeschate emphasised the importance of mental readiness and game awareness. “It’s less about technical tweaks and more about mindset, situational awareness, and helping players manage key phases of the game. It’s about discussing ideas, debriefing, and maintaining a positive mental space.”
As he begins this new chapter, ten Doeschate is mindful of the challenges ahead, especially given India’s recent successes, including their World Cup victory. However, he is enthusiastic about what lies ahead, with major events like the World Test Championship (WTC) final, the Champions Trophy, and the next T20 World Cup on the horizon.
“The next 18 months are incredibly exciting as a coach,” ten Doeschate remarked. “These are the series you want to be part of and the challenges you want to face.”