Assistant Coach Ryan ten Doeschate opens up on the batting struggle of India against spin

The assistant coach of Team India, Ryan ten Doeschate, recently addressed concerns about India's struggles against spin, a surprising issue given the team's historical strength in this area. The former Netherlands cricketer expressed that he was caught off guard by this weakness but is prepared to tackle it head-on as the team gears up for a crucial Test season. Currently, India is ranked second in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings, just behind Australia, with the highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy set to take place in December in Australia.

India's assistant coach talks about the team's struggle against spin

Despite India's strong reputation against spin, they faltered significantly in a recent three-match away ODI series against Sri Lanka. The team lost 27 wickets to Sri Lankan spinners and ultimately the series 0-2. Although India managed to win the T20I series against the hosts, their vulnerabilities against spin were exposed in the ODIs. Sri Lankan spinners, led by Jeffrey Vandersay, dismantled the Indian batting lineup, with key players like Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul struggling to cope.

Speaking about these challenges, Doeschate highlighted the shift in India's focus over the years. He noted that the team's emphasis on performing well in overseas conditions, particularly in Australia and England, has led to a decline in their ability to handle spin.

"We got undone against Sri Lanka. The mindset of India has been such that they've been so desperate to do well overseas," Doeschate told TalkSport Cricket. "The focus has moved to doing well in Australia and England. We've kind of let playing spin, which was always a strength of the Indian team, fall back a little bit. That's one thing I'm looking forward to helping with, getting to that position where Indians are the best players of spin in the world again," he added.

Ryan ten Doeschate opens up on India's prep for WTC Finals and Champions Trophy

India is set to host Bangladesh and New Zealand for a series of five Test matches in September and October. Both teams have skilled spinners who are expected to challenge the Indian batsmen. These upcoming red-ball series are crucial for India as they aim to secure a spot in the WTC Finals, scheduled for June 2025. Doeschate emphasized that qualifying for the WTC final is one of Team India's primary goals. However, he also pointed out that the team is keeping a close eye on the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.

"In terms of what we're looking forward to, qualifying for the WTC final [next June is a goal]. 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,” Doeschate remarked.

"Then in the medium term there's the Champions Trophy [in February 2025]. 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 further explained.

"In the next [WTC] cycle, the tour to England [summer of 2025] 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 [2024 T20] 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.

Ryan ten Doeschate joined Team India following their T20 World Cup victory earlier this year. His tenure began as former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir took over as head coach, replacing Rahul Dravid. Doeschate now works closely with Abhishek Nayar, who has assumed the role of batting coach for Team India. As the team prepares for a busy and challenging season, the focus will be on regaining their dominance against spin and securing crucial wins in both the WTC and ICC tournaments.