“Messed Up on a Grand Scale”: Ten Doeschate Demands a Big Bounce Back to Keep World Cup Hopes Alive
The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad witnessed a sobering reality check for the Men in Blue as South Africa handed them a crushing 76-run defeat in their opening Super 8 clash of the T20 World Cup.
What was anticipated to be a fierce contest quickly unravelled into a one-sided affair. The magnitude of the loss has not only severely dented India’s Net Run Rate (NRR), a factor that could prove decisive if multiple teams finish level on points, but has also turned their upcoming fixtures against Zimbabwe and the West Indies into high-stakes, must-win encounters.
Following the collapse, India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate addressed the media in a candid post-match press conference, shedding light on the tactical miscalculations, the fragility at the top of the order, and the significant challenge now confronting the coaching staff.
One of the major talking points before the match was the omission of vice-captain and reliable all-rounder Axar Patel in favour of Washington Sundar. Ten Doeschate shed light on the deliberations behind the decision, admitting the match-up strategy did not unfold as planned.
“Yeah, we spent a lot of time deliberating about the XI over the last couple of days. I guess the only way it didn’t play into our hands was if we decided to bat first like we did today, to give Washington a run,” ten Doeschate told reporters. “We were looking more at match-ups in the middle. Obviously, someone has to make way. Do we leave a batter out and bring another bowler in? Playing it forward and making decisions at the time, we felt we needed Rinku to deepen the batting. The decision was based around that. It’s certainly not to take anything away from Axar and his leadership and how important he is to the team. We’ll look at that spot over the next two games.”
India’s batting card made for grim reading. The top order failed to launch, leaving the side constantly on the back foot. Abhishek Sharma, coming off three consecutive ducks, finally got off the mark but his 15 off 12 balls lacked authority. The pressure mounted as Tilak Varma managed just one run, and Ishan Kishan departed for a duck. Even captain Suryakumar Yadav, usually the driving force of the innings, laboured to 22 off 18 deliveries.
“The bulk of the runs are coming from Suryakumar Yadav, who has been very good. Shivam has also been very good,” he said. “You’ve got four quality players there who haven’t delivered so far in this competition. I certainly won’t make excuses for Abhishek or anyone else. They don’t need excuses. Abhishek’s preparation coming into the World Cup, with the food poisoning he had at one stage, hampered his progress in terms of where we wanted him to be at this phase. You want him confident in his swing and clear in his game plan. When you score three ducks, it does start weighing on you. I saw some really good signs at the nets. But there’s no point talking about rhythm in training. It’s time to roll up our sleeves and get performances out of those players. That’s the challenge for the staff, to regroup and put in a big effort in the next game against Zimbabwe.”
The struggles at the top have inevitably sparked debate over personnel changes. With opposition match-ups exposing India’s early vulnerabilities, ten Doeschate hinted that introducing the right-handed Sanju Samson could provide tactical balance.
“Part-time off-spin has taken a wicket almost every time, apart from the USA game. Starting every innings at zero for one is obviously putting pressure on the incoming batters,” he said. “To restrict the opposition, we clearly weren’t clicking up top, and it hasn’t gone our way. There is a lot of inexperience in the team. You want to settle a side. They are all fantastic players. Do you stick or twist? Do you back the players who have done well over the last 18 months, or do you bring Sanju in? He’s a fantastic player and adds the tactical advantage of a right-hander at the top. I’m sure that will be a talking point over the next few days ahead of two very important games.”
With the Net Run Rate taking a significant hit, the equation for India is straightforward: win the next two games, and win them convincingly. There is no longer any margin for experimentation or half-measures.
Summing up the sombre mood in the dressing room and issuing a rallying call for the remainder of the Super 8 stage, ten Doeschate made it clear the team understands the gravity of the situation.
“Very disappointed with the performance. But when you set out to win a World Cup, you don’t expect it to be handed to you in a half-hearted competition. We understand we’ve made a lot of mistakes tonight. We probably have room for one slip-up in this phase, but we messed up on a grand scale. Now we have to turn it around and put in two solid performances against Zimbabwe and West Indies. With the way the group stands, you need at least four points to progress. It’s going to require two big performances and a significant bounce back from everyone involved.”
The road to the semi-finals has suddenly become far steeper for India. Whether they choose to stick or twist, the time for deliberation is over. It is now purely about delivery.
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