Adaptability on unfamiliar pitches key ahead of Zimbabwe clash: India coach

India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate called for better adaptability after the 76-run defeat to South Africa, saying the side must find improved ways to respond to challenging conditions rather than rely on familiar methods.

Asked about the key areas India would revisit, Ten Doeschate said the foremost challenge was adjusting to wickets that do not suit their usual style of play.

"I've sort of banged the drum about it, but I think the biggest challenge to us is finding a way to play on wickets that are not typical to what we're playing on," he said.

He felt India missed an opportunity with the ball after reducing South Africa to 30 for three. Instead of sustaining attacking lengths, the bowlers adopted a defensive approach.

"To have that strangle on South Africa and then to sort of adopt a defensive bowling strategy, again I thought that was a missed trick. If you bang length on this pitch, it's pretty hard to score," he said. 

Ten Doeschate added that similar clarity was required with the bat. Early wickets, including Ishan Kishan’s dismissal in the first over, exposed the side to South Africa’s three quality seamers. He said there needed to be better assessment of conditions and smarter application during chases.

"It’s a fine line between putting the reins on and stopping guys from playing the way they play. But I think it's come to the point now where the intervention of saying, ‘guys, there are different ways to go about a chase’, even setting a score," he said, admitting that while the team had discussed such adjustments, they had not implemented them consistently.

‘You have to get most small decisions right’

On whether the defeat stemmed from conceding heavily at the death or losing early wickets, Ten Doeschate said the team had yet to hold a detailed dressing-room discussion but cautioned against singling out individuals or moments.

"We haven't had a chance to talk to the players yet,” he said. “You want to be very careful when you're apportioning blame.”

Instead, he pointed to a series of small but costly errors. Two no-balls alone accounted for 14 runs in a tight contest — a significant margin in a high-pressure match.

"If you do the maths, that's seven or eight per cent of the runs given away before you've even bowled the ball," he said. 

He also revealed that the management had debated bowling Jasprit Bumrah in the 20th over and Hardik Pandya in the 19th, a tactical switch that might have altered the endgame.

"With Hardik bowling the last over with four fielders out, it’s always going to be a challenge. That could have been a tactical thing we might have done," he said.

Ten Doeschate said such marginal calls often decide outcomes in tournament cricket.

"As a group, we'll take responsibility for that. Against good teams and at the pressure point of a tournament, you have to get the majority of those small decisions right. We missed a few tonight."