NEW DELHI: Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate openly acknowledged that Indian batsmen’s eagerness to perform well in foreign conditions has negatively impacted their proficiency against spin bowling.
He stated that his primary objective is to help them regain their expertise in this area as they prepare for a crucial season that includes five home Test matches.India, known for their prowess against spin, surprisingly struggled in the recent three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka, where they lost 27 wickets to the host nation’s spinners.The 0-2 series defeat marked India’s first bilateral ODI series loss against Sri Lanka in nearly three decades.
“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, as quoted by PTI.
“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,” said Doeschate.
India will host Bangladesh and New Zealand in five Test matches during September and October. The visiting teams possess skilled spinners who could pose challenges for the Indian batsmen.
According to Doeschate, a former Netherlands all-rounder with extensive coaching experience globally, tackling spin bowling effectively is more about a mental adjustment than significant technical modifications. He stated, playing spin is about making a mental shift rather than bringing about major technical changes.
“I don’t think much of what we’re going to bring is technical knowledge. It’s more about mindsets, situational awareness, and how we think they can control certain phases of the game.
“We need to throw ideas out there… de-briefing and keeping the mental space really good. That’s going to be really important,” he elaborated.
The 44-year-old Dutchman, who will be assisting head coach Gautam Gambhir and Abhishek Nayar, expressed that the team is eager to win the Champions Trophy next year.
“There’s the Champions Trophy (February 2025). With only three ODIs left in preparation, 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 said.
Doeschate stated that qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) final in June next year is another crucial goal for Team India.
Currently, India lead the WTC table, with Australia close behind, and Doeschate aims to use the 10 Tests India is scheduled to play to solidify their strong position.
“In terms of what we’re looking forward to… qualifying for the WTC final… there’s a great opportunity with 10 Tests left.
“We have five (Tests) in India and then we are going to Australia (for another five Tests), which is going to be great.”
Doeschate mentioned that stepping into the Indian cricketing establishment was a daunting task, especially following their T20 World Cup victory in June.
“In terms of timing (his appointment), it’s quite difficult to walk into a team that’s just come back with the (T20) World Cup.
“But in terms of what’s ahead of us 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 said.
He stated that his primary objective is to help them regain their expertise in this area as they prepare for a crucial season that includes five home Test matches.India, known for their prowess against spin, surprisingly struggled in the recent three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka, where they lost 27 wickets to the host nation’s spinners.The 0-2 series defeat marked India’s first bilateral ODI series loss against Sri Lanka in nearly three decades.
“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, as quoted by PTI.
“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,” said Doeschate.
India will host Bangladesh and New Zealand in five Test matches during September and October. The visiting teams possess skilled spinners who could pose challenges for the Indian batsmen.
According to Doeschate, a former Netherlands all-rounder with extensive coaching experience globally, tackling spin bowling effectively is more about a mental adjustment than significant technical modifications. He stated, playing spin is about making a mental shift rather than bringing about major technical changes.
“I don’t think much of what we’re going to bring is technical knowledge. It’s more about mindsets, situational awareness, and how we think they can control certain phases of the game.
“We need to throw ideas out there… de-briefing and keeping the mental space really good. That’s going to be really important,” he elaborated.
The 44-year-old Dutchman, who will be assisting head coach Gautam Gambhir and Abhishek Nayar, expressed that the team is eager to win the Champions Trophy next year.
“There’s the Champions Trophy (February 2025). With only three ODIs left in preparation, 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 said.
Doeschate stated that qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) final in June next year is another crucial goal for Team India.
Currently, India lead the WTC table, with Australia close behind, and Doeschate aims to use the 10 Tests India is scheduled to play to solidify their strong position.
“In terms of what we’re looking forward to… qualifying for the WTC final… there’s a great opportunity with 10 Tests left.
“We have five (Tests) in India and then we are going to Australia (for another five Tests), which is going to be great.”
Doeschate mentioned that stepping into the Indian cricketing establishment was a daunting task, especially following their T20 World Cup victory in June.
“In terms of timing (his appointment), it’s quite difficult to walk into a team that’s just come back with the (T20) World Cup.
“But in terms of what’s ahead of us 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 said.