Ryan ten Doeschate hints at need for revision in batting strategy

Until late January, India’s batting had been consistently devastating, as designed. They smashed 238 against New Zealand in Nagpur, chased 200-plus with more than four overs to spare in Raipur, and raced to 155 in just 10 overs in Guwahati.

However, a surprisingly tacky surface and USA’s disciplined bowling in the World Cup opener at Wankhede exposed flaws in this aggressive approach, nearly causing an upset. India eventually escaped via captain Suryakumar Yadav, but the win came with lessons and highlighted the need for a Plan B.

India’s success in this World Cup cycle has been built on allowing the top order to attack from the first ball. But with pitches in India and Colombo offering bowlers assistance, there are calls for a tactical revision.

After the Mumbai win, Suryakumar noted: “We learned that we could have batted a little better or smarter. Small partnerships could have got us to 160.” Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate echoed this on Tuesday, suggesting application will be a focus before India’s second fixture.

“The instinct is to hit the ball first, often for six, but there will certainly be odd times where you have to apply yourself better,” ten Doeschate said. “The wicket in Mumbai called for more application and a change in strategy, especially after losing wickets in the PowerPlay. Thankfully, our captain came good.”

In Mumbai, India’s aggressive attempts backfired. Ishan Kishan and Shivam Dube fell to change of pace, Tilak Varma was bounced out, and Abhishek Sharma was caught first ball due to smart field placement. Rinku Singh struggled, and even Hardik Pandya found timing elusive.

Messaging will now be key for India’s batting against Namibia. The top order may not abandon their methods entirely, but caution could precede six-hitting, depending on conditions.

“Batting confidence comes from the skill system and their work over two years. They’ve done this many times successfully,” ten Doeschate said. “But the wickets haven’t played as expected. We need to be adaptive and address our performance in Mumbai.”

India acknowledge the risks of their aggressive T20 approach. The assistant coach linked some of this freedom to their world-class bowling attack. Discussions about moderating their batting are only due to the tournament’s pitches so far.

“Having world-class bowlers allows batters the freedom to make mistakes. If you’re always aiming for 250, mistakes happen. But given how pitches have played early in the tournament, there might be a slight strategic revision.”

In Raipur against New Zealand, India recovered from 6/2 to 75/2 in 6 overs, showing commitment to attack despite early wickets. If conditions on Thursday favor bowlers again, India will be tested on blending their default aggression with the restraint demanded after Mumbai, finding an ideal middle ground without losing their identity.