"Need to seriously look at..." Rohit Sharma on India's batting failure against Sri Lanka's spin brigade
“I don’t think it’s a concern, but it’s something we need to look at seriously — our individual game plans — and it’s something (that) we were definitely put under pressure within this series,” Indian captain Rohit Sharma said after India faced a significant setback with a 110-run defeat in the third ODI against Sri Lanka, marking their first series loss to the island nation in 27 years.??
He was responding to a question about the Sri Lankan spinners?wrecking havoc in the 3rd ODI, in a similar fashion to the previous match in the series.
Rohit acknowledged the disappointment but emphasised that the series loss should not be viewed as alarming. He credited Sri Lanka's success to their superior spin strategy and highlighted the need for India to take a serious look at how they approach spin bowling, particularly in challenging conditions.
Throughout the series, the Indian batting lineup struggled under the pressure of Sri Lankan spin. In all three ODIs, Rohit Sharma and his team were bowled out, with spinners taking 27 out of 30 wickets — a stark contrast to India's previous worst performance against spin, where they lost 19 wickets to Pakistan in 1996.
While the series loss was disappointing, Rohit stressed that it is not the ‘end of the world’ for the team. “Series loss doesn’t mean the end of the world. These guys have been playing very well over the past few years; very consistent. You will lose the odd series,” he added.
Recent struggle against spin
The loss has reignited a longstanding debate about the effectiveness of Indian batsmen against spin. Over the past decade, there has been growing concern about the decline in the ability of Indian players to tackle spin bowlers with the same prowess that was once a hallmark of the team.
In the 1990s, Indian cricketers were renowned for their exceptional skill on spin-friendly pitches. Players like Sunil Gavaskar, Gundappa Viswanath, Mohammad Azharuddin, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, and Virender Sehwag made spin bowlers toil hard for their wickets on turning surfaces. This legacy set a high standard that today's players are struggling to meet.
Why are Indian batsmen today not that great at playing spin comparitive to the 2000s generation?
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Recent years have seen Indian batsmen come under scrutiny for their performance against spin. In 2023, cricket expert Aakash Chopra criticized the team's play against spin after India’s loss at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. Australia’s 9-wicket victory in the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar series raised concerns, leading Chopra to comment, "The play against spin has become extremely bad. If our performance against spin is going to be like this, our situation is going to be bad. One thing is certain that if the opposition team is not able to play spin, we also don't play spin well."
Chopra further noted that the team's average against spin has dropped significantly since 2021, suggesting that India's overall performance against spin has been "extremely ordinary." He attributed this decline to an overemphasis on T20I and ODI formats played on flat pitches, which might have affected the players' traditional techniques for handling spin.
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Virat Kohli’s struggles against spin have also drawn attention. Kohli, who retired from T20Is after the World Cup in June, rejoined the Indian squad for the ODI series against Sri Lanka but has failed to make a significant impact. His scores of 24 and 14 in first two ODIs were disappointing. He was bundled for 20 off 18 balls in the 3rd ODI as well. Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali expressed his astonishment at seeing a player of Kohli’s caliber struggle against spin in consecutive matches, suggesting that Kohli might not have entered the series well-prepared.
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Why Indian batters are struggling against spin
The challenges faced by Indian batsmen against spin highlight several underlying issues. An over-reliance on limited-overs cricket, where power-hitting often takes precedence, has led to a diminished focus on traditional techniques essential for handling spin. Additionally, the decline in the quality of spin bowling in domestic cricket has left batsmen less prepared for high-quality spinners. The relatively predictable nature of turning pitches in India further exposes batsmen when facing top-tier spin bowlers abroad.
What is your batting plan against spin?
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To address these challenges, there is a call for a renewed focus on developing spin bowling in domestic cricket and a return to the traditional techniques required to play spin effectively. As the Indian team seeks to regain its edge, a comprehensive reassessment of strategies against spin seems imperative.
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