India Enters the Super 8 stage of t20 world cup 2026 With a perfect record after a hard-fought win over Netherlands at the Narendra Modi Stadium. While the 17-run win secured their fourth consecutive win in the tournament, the team management is already looking towards the tactical improvements required for the business end of the competition. After the game, assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate Provided a candid assessment of the journey ahead, emphasizing that the team’s ‘best, most complete performances are still to come’ as they prepare for a rematch of the 2024 finals. South Africa this Sunday.
T20 World Cup 2026: Ryan ten Doeschate calls invincible a big hurdle for India before South Africa Super 8 match
During the group stage, India faced more off-spin than any other team, often struggling to maintain a high scoring rate during the middle overs on sticky wickets. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said the flat pitches allow the batsmen “Cross the line with more confidence,” The real test comes in adapting to the surfaces where the ball rests.
“I think on better wickets you won’t see it [batters struggling against spin]. You can cross the line with more confidence. But the point is that we need to make plans where the wickets stay [longer] The limitations are there. We need to be able to make a game plan to deal with that threat. i won’t say [there are struggles against] Offspin, I would say fingerspin. [on the whole]” ESPNcricinfo quoted Ten Doeschate as saying.
Ten Doeschate pointed out that opponents are deliberately using finger spinners to target India’s impressive left-arm top order, a prime example of which is the recent clash in Colombo:
“Colombo [against Pakistan] It was a particularly difficult wicket… I think Pakistan bowled 14 [17] Over the spin of the fingers in the last game, and off the top of my head, I want to say [they got] 4 for 78 or something like that [5 for 125]. so it’s not a big number [for India]. It’s a trend in this World Cup… teams are getting smarter now. Ten doses were added.
Also read: EXPLAINED: Did Abhishek Sharma break ICC rules by wearing Mohammed Siraj’s jersey?
‘Teams are getting smarter’: India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate admits
India’s unbeaten run in the Super 8s has been overshadowed by an apparent weakness towards finger spin. This trend started in protest against usaWhere the spinners dropped three middle-order wickets for India and continued against namibia As gerhard erasmus’ Four wickets almost derailed a strong start. Rival captains have clearly identified India’s left-hand heavy top order as a tactical weakness that can be exploited on holding surfaces.
The clash reached a climax in Colombo, where Pakistan produced 18 overs of spin on a sticky pitch to demolish the top order, including precious wickets. Abhishek Sharma And Ishan Kishan. Recently in Ahmedabad, Netherlands’ Aryan Dutt The new ball was used to dismiss both openers early, leaving India in a ‘squeeze’ when they could not hit across the line. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate admitted that “teams are getting smarter,” using finger spin to stop India’s power hitters on wickets that also offer grip.
“It has been a trend in this World Cup. In the IPL or bilateral series, the momentum of the innings comes from the powerplay. In all games, especially in Sri Lanka [at this World Cup]You go out of the books early, and it becomes difficult to bat in the middle stages, and teams are becoming a lot more clever now,” Ten Doeschate concludes.