Have India learnt their lessons from New Zealand series? Here is what assistant coach Ten Doeschate said

India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate hopes the team's batters have learnt valuable lessons from their rare home series defeat against New Zealand last year, as India get ready to face the spin-heavy South African team in a two-Test series, beginning this Friday.

In their recent Test series in Pakistan, South Africa's four specialist spinners – Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer, Senuran Muthusamy, and Prenelan Subrayen – claimed an impressive 35 wickets. Their performance helped the team draw the two-match series 1-1.

Speaking at a press conference before the first Test, Ten Doeschate highlighted that South Africa has four (with three being specialists) spin bowlers available. He expects them to play three, which makes the match-up feel like confronting a team from the subcontinent.

The South African team, known as the Proteas, arrives with a well-balanced bowling attack, featuring both strong pace and spin options.

While Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen spearhead their fast-bowling department, they also boast three expert spinners in Maharaj, Simon Harmer, and Muthusamy.

Across two Test matches, Harmer secured 13 wickets, Muthusamy took 11, and Maharaj added 9, totalling 33 wickets among them. Muthusamy also had an excellent batting performance, scoring 106 runs, which earned him the Player of the Series award.

Ten Doeschate explained that teams usually prioritise concerns about the fast-bowling attack first. He anticipates South Africa will likely play with two fast bowlers and either three or four spinners. He views this as a significant challenge for India, acknowledging that they have struggled with it previously and need to improve.

India's concern is understandable, given their unprecedented 0-3 home defeat to New Zealand exactly one year ago. That collapse was primarily due to spin bowling, with Ajaz Patel (15 wickets), Mitchell Santner (13 wickets), and Glenn Phillips (8 wickets) combining for an impressive 36 wickets.

He further praised South Africa's overall development and the high quality of their bowling attack. He credited the visitors for successfully rebuilding into a formidable team capable of performing well in all conditions.

"They deserve significant praise for their efforts over the past 9-10 months," he stated. "Their current standing in the World Test Championship demonstrates their quality as a team—to even reach the final and beat Australia..."

India has been consistently switching between different cricket formats since their Asia Cup T20 victory in Dubai. This busy schedule was followed by a 2-0 series win over the West Indies, which marked the beginning of their 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle, and then a white-ball tour of Australia.

He commented that this busy schedule "isn't overly taxing"; players simply need to adapt their mindset tactically. While the longer formats require more guidance from the coaching staff, the players have become very skilled at adjusting.

He also mentioned that managing all three cricket formats presents a significant challenge for players such as Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, and Axar Patel, especially leading up to next year's T20I World Cup.

"It is incredibly challenging," he said. "Globally, fewer players are now participating in all three formats. When you take on such a mental challenge, you need a clear plan for how to approach it. Shubman Gill, for instance, has managed it very well."

Regarding the much-discussed Eden Gardens pitch, Ten Doeschate described it as "good and fair" based on his initial observations.

"From the early assessment of the wicket, it appears to be a good pitch that will likely offer spin later in the match," he explained. "Therefore, it won't solely be about spin. The batters must perform exceptionally well in the first few days when batting conditions are expected to be a bit easier."

"Both teams certainly possess high-quality fast bowlers," he added, "so the challenge will involve selecting the right team combinations."

"We will count on our fast bowlers to make early breakthroughs in the first couple of days," he concluded. "That's what you expect from an excellent Test pitch—balance, where no single aspect completely dominates the game. However, I do believe spin will become very significant here in the later stages."

Dhruv Jurel to play in opening Test against South Africa

According to India's assistant coach, Ryan Ten Doeschate, in-form wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel will feature in the opening Test against South Africa. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy is set to be replaced by Jurel in the lineup.

Dhruv Jurel, 24, who has played seven Tests, has been in exceptional form. He has scored four centuries in his last five first-class matches, including an impressive twin hundreds against South Africa 'A' in Bengaluru just last week.

With the primary wicketkeeper, Rishabh Pant, returning after recovering from a foot fracture he sustained in July, there were questions about whether the team management would find a place for Jurel.

Now a year and a half into his international career, Jurel has consistently displayed a calm composure and maturity that surpasses his relatively limited experience.

Since mid-September 2025, his first-class form has been truly outstanding, with scores of 140, 56, 125, 44, 132 not out, and 127 not out across five matches (including Ranji Trophy, Test, and 'A' team games). His first-class average has soared from 47.34 to an impressive 58.00, making his selection almost inevitable.