Excessive reliance on flat surfaces and poor shot selection are contributing to India's declining ability to navigate middle-over spin on turning pitches. Following India’s recent defeat to Sri Lanka in the ODI series and a disappointing couple of tours to Bangladesh, concerns have emerged regarding the team's spin-playing capabilities in ODIs.
Gone are the days when the middle overs in a 50-over match were uneventful for India. Now, under an aggressive strategy, the team either dominates spinners with bold strokes or falters against them on spin-friendly pitches. There appears to be no in-between, as demonstrated during the recent ODI series in Sri Lanka.
The pitches in that series were designed to favour spinners, yet the Sri Lankan batters managed to handle Indian spin bowlers more effectively. Former India cricketer Saba Karim noted in The Indian Express, "They had a wider range of scoring options—be it conventional sweeps or slog sweeps—and executed them confidently."
Here’s a comparison of India's performance against Sri Lankan spinners over the last three tours:
This isn't the first time India's struggles on spinning tracks have come to light. Their performance in the recent series against Sri Lanka echoes issues encountered during the 2022 ODI series in Bangladesh, where they suffered a 2-1 loss due to their inability to handle Shakib Al Hasan and his team.
The challenges were evident on November 19 when Pat Cummins opted to bowl first, choking a batting lineup that had been in flying form throughout the World Cup by employing clever seam bowling alongside disciplined efforts from Australian spinners. This was a stark contrast to the semifinal against New Zealand in Mumbai, where the batting conditions were much more favourable, allowing Indian middle-order batsmen to score freely, achieving a massive 397/4.
As India approaches just three more ODIs before the 2025 Champions Trophy, addressing this particular weakness is critical, especially when countering spin-friendly conditions. Ryan ten Doeschate, India’s newly appointed assistant coach, acknowledged in a recent interview that the team's focus on excelling overseas may be impacting their performance against spin.
India plays a considerable amount of cricket in SENA countries, where pitches are typically more conducive to batting than the sluggish surfaces seen during the World Cup final or in Dhaka. "ODI cricket usually provides good batting tracks, but when conditions favour spin, Indian batters must refine their skills," Karim emphasises.
Here’s a look at India’s performance against Bangladesh spinners over the last two tours:
Karim further suggested that preparing for a Test or ODI series on turning pitches should include similar conditions in practice sessions to better simulate game situations. Unfortunately, the players often lack time to play domestic cricket on such surfaces.
Alongside the lack of exposure to turning pitches, the choice of shots taken by batters in these conditions is also problematic. "A solid defence is vital," Karim notes. "It allows players to absorb pressure and assess scoring opportunities effectively—something Indian batters have accomplished in the past."
While aggressive tactics like charging down the track or playing various sweep shots may be suitable for T20 formats, individual players must carefully assess their choices within a 50-over match context.
Karim emphasised the importance of recognising a bowler's variations. With the rising trend of T20 cricket and unconventional training methods such as using side-arms, batters have begun developing a habit of judging bowlers based on length rather than hand movement, making it difficult to read variations like carrom balls, doosras, turners, and changes in pace.
In response to these challenges, India attempted to adjust their batting order based on favourable match-ups, such as promoting left-handed batters to face left-arm spinners. While this strategy might work effectively in T20 formats, it faltered in the ODI series against Sri Lanka.
Promoting players like KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer—both effective against spin and possessing impressive ODI records—down the order left them facing an older ball, while the spinners were already settled in with confidence. In T20 cricket, such tactical adjustments often succeed because the promoted batter is not burdened with the responsibility of building innings, but is instead expected to provide quick runs. However, in ODIs, players must prioritise consistent strike rotation and controlled aggression to counter spinners effectively.