Ryan ten Doeschate sounds a content man at the moment. The former Netherlands captain, now part of India’s back-room staff, likes what he sees as the side shuffles pieces ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup. With the series against Afghanistan already wrapped up, he has spent the week talking more about possibilities than problems.
Key facts first. India lead 2-0, the third and final ODI is at Chepauk on Saturday, and Hardik Pandya is still resting that troublesome ankle. Into the gap have stepped a clutch of young all-rounders: left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey made his debut at Dharamsala, seam-bowling option Harshit Rana returned after knee surgery, and Nitish Kumar Reddy is expected to shake off a sore thigh in time for Chennai.
“It’s really good,” ten Doeschate said on the eve of the match. “I would still say the majority of those guys are bowling allrounders. When Hardik’s fit, he obviously brings a different element because he’s such a strong batter, such a strong finisher. That sort of role… it is difficult to find a finisher who can give you overs as well. So those guys are all tracking really nicely. Like I said with Nitish, for the last 18 months, he’s shown glimpses of how important he can be to this team, particularly in this format. I feel his body’s getting stronger and stronger and I sort of feel he is the natural successor or back-up to Hardik.”
India might even drop a specialist batter for another utility player this weekend. The idea is not only to deepen the batting but to leave room for three frontline quicks when conditions demand, especially in South Africa next February. That plan leads directly to No. 9 needing to bat a bit, a modern quirk that the staff harp on about whenever microphones appear.
“But certainly to see these other guys chipping in and working on their games, even someone like Gurnoor [Brar] and Harshit again, they’re bowling allrounders. But the fact that we feel we’ve got guys who can hold the bat at No. 9, and looking forward for the next 14-15 months, that is going to be very important, especially in South Africa when you want to play three proper out-and-out seamers. Those guys are going to need to bat. So yeah, a lot of good signs on the allrounder front and also on the fast bowler front. It’s refreshing this week to see Prince [Yadav], Gurnoor and [Auqib] Nabi.”
That reference to “proper out-and-out seamers” is telling. Chepauk will spin, but the bigger picture remains fast bowling depth. The selection panel has already rotated Umran Malik and Tushar Deshpande through nets sessions, mindful of fiery South African wickets that could favour raw pace.
Kuldeep Yadav’s quiet run
The conversation then moved to spin. Kuldeep Yadav’s IPL numbers – average 38.10, economy 10.29 – have been pored over long enough. He was left out in Dharamsala, played in Lucknow, and finished wicketless for 51 in ten overs. The outside noise has grown, though not within the dressing-room.
“Look, the wickets aren’t always there and I thought he bowled really well the other night,” ten Doeschate said. “As someone who hasn’t played a continuous string of games for a while … even in Test matches, he hasn’t always played. No real concerns about him. We always like to play a wristspinner or a mystery spinner, as the case may be. But certainly, the way the game is evolving and the way guys go after the spin now, the onus is back on the spinner to almost reinvent himself from time to time.”
That idea of reinvention is already on the whiteboard of new spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule, who has joined the group only this month. Ten Doeschate expects plenty of one-to-ones once the Afghanistan series finishes.
“Kuldeep, as well as other spinners, especially having Sairaj Bahutule (new spin-bowling coach), [will] now [have] to work with the spinners and work on a lot of tactical things and game planning and trying to come up with new ideas.”
What next?
Saturday’s match is effectively a dead rubber, yet that label rarely fits when fringe players are fighting for World Cup tickets. Dubey, Rana and Reddy all have something tangible to gain – be it a long winter tour spot, or simply the experience of closing out an international series. The selectors will also watch how Rohit Sharma juggles bowling options if a spare batting slot does indeed make way for another all-rounder.
Fans in Chennai, well versed in tempo and turn, may enjoy a slightly experimental XI. The coaching group, meanwhile, are trying to turn experimentation into habit so that by the time 2027 arrives, India’s squad is flexible on paper and confident on grass.
Ten Doeschate, pragmatic as ever, summed up the week in one neat phrase: opportunity beats comfort. The measure on Saturday is not just another victory, but whether a few more names can inch closer to Hardik Pandya’s job description.
