Indians have ‘fallen back a little bit’ in playing spin: Ryan Ten Doeschate

The Indian cricket team, known for its historic dominance against spin bowling, has seen a surprising decline in this area, according to newly appointed assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate. The former Dutch cricketer, who recently joined the Indian coaching staff, has voiced his concerns over the team’s current ability to tackle spin, especially in subcontinental conditions.

Spinning struggles in Sri Lanka for India

Ryan Ten Doeschate’s observations come on the heels of India’s recent series against Sri Lanka, where the team struggled against the hosts’ spinners.

Rohit Sharma and his squad were outplayed by the Lankan spinners, raising questions about their preparedness in handling slow bowling. This prompted Ten Doeschate to reflect on the broader shift in focus that he believes has impacted the team’s traditional strength against spin.

“A Shift in Priorities”: Ryan Ten Doeschate

In a recent interview with TalkSport, Ryan Ten Doeschate highlighted how the Indian team’s emphasis has shifted towards succeeding in fast-bowling conditions, particularly in Australia and England.

“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,” he said. He acknowledged that while this shift has paid dividends in improving the team’s performance in pace-friendly conditions, it has inadvertently led to a decline in their ability to dominate spin, a skill once considered a hallmark of Indian cricket.

Rebuilding spin dominance

Ryan Ten Doeschate is eager to address this issue and help restore India’s reputation as the best players of spin in the world. “I’m looking forward to helping get to that position where Indians are the best players of spin again,” he stated. His approach will focus not just on technical aspects but also on mindset and situational awareness, ensuring that Indian batsmen regain their confidence and prowess against spin bowling.

What did Ryan Ten Doeschte said?

“In terms of the role, the way it’s set up is with three assistants—Abhishek and Morné. I mean, it’s pretty obvious that Morné is focused on bowling. I hope you never see anything about batting in any situation where he’s going to come in and speak on batting. But certainly, Abhishek and I are involved across all three facets of the game.”

“Fielding was my coaching forte before I took this role, and obviously, I’ve got batting as well. So I feel like we’re essentially three batting coaches and one bowling coach. We’re just going to have to help out with bits and pieces of all things. Like I said in the first question, I don’t think much about what we’re going to bring is technical knowledge. It’s more about mindset, situational awareness, how we think they can control certain parts of the game, not just throwing ideas out there. And obviously debriefing, keeping the mental space really good, is going to be important. I think that’s how Gautam sees me around the place—the energy I bring in, the work ethic to show the players what we expect from them as well.”

“What excites me? It’s a great time to take over, though a little bit daunting on the back of a World Cup win and how well they’ve done, winning twice in Australia the last two times. I guess one of the challenges that I wasn’t expecting and kind of overlooked is the playing of spin. Indian bowlers 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 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.”

“And just in terms of what we’re looking forward to—qualifying for the World Test Championship. There’s a great opportunity with 10 Tests left: five in India, three against New Zealand, and two against Bangladesh, which are going to be important. And going to Australia is going to be great. The Champions Trophy is also medium-term, with only three ODIs to go in the prep phase, which is going to be really challenging to switch between formats and get the team ready for that. Again, it’s something they’re desperate to win.”

“And then in the next World Test Championship cycle, the tour to England is going to be fantastic, and prepping the team for the T20 World Cup as well. In terms of timing, yes, it’s quite difficult to walk into a team that’s just come back with the World Cup, but in terms of the schedule, what’s ahead for the next 18 months is mouth-watering as a coach. It’s all the series you want to be involved in, all the challenges you want to come up against.”

Exciting challenges for India Cricket Team

Looking forward, Ryan Ten Doeschate is excited about the upcoming challenges, including the World Test Championship, the tour to Australia, and the preparation for the Champions Trophy and T20 World Cup. Despite the daunting task of maintaining the team’s momentum following their World Cup victory, he sees these challenges as opportunities to solidify India’s standing in global cricket.

“Timing-wise, it’s difficult to walk into a team that has just won a World Cup, but the schedule ahead is mouth-watering as a coach,” he remarked. With pivotal series against New Zealand, Bangladesh, and England on the horizon, Ten Doeschate’s role will be crucial in navigating the team through these challenges while simultaneously rebuilding their dominance in spin.

Hopeful Ryan Ten Doeschate

As Ryan Ten Doeschate steps into his new role, his focus on reviving India’s spin-playing capabilities comes at a critical juncture. With major tournaments and series lined up, his insights and strategies will play a key role in ensuring that India not only excels in overseas conditions but also reclaims its position as the best team against spin in the world.