India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate admitted the T20 world champions were left in “disbelief” after suffering a 2-0 series defeat to Ireland, saying the visitors were “outdone and outsmarted” by a side that adapted far better to local conditions.
The defeat has also intensified calls for teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to make his international debut but Ten Doeschate said the 15-year-old, despite being ready for international cricket, would have to earn his opportunity through the same selection process as every other player.
India lost the opening T20I by 34 runs before falling agonisingly short by one run in the second match on Sunday, handing Ireland a landmark series sweep over the reigning world champions.
“We have just won a World Cup. We have been outdone, outsmarted by a team which did their basics very well,” Ten Doeschate said after the match.
“The learning for us is being able to adapt to different conditions and against different teams. That’s the biggest takeaway from this series.”
‘We failed to adapt’
Ten Doeschate identified the conditions in Belfast, particularly the strong wind and the different scoring patterns, as India’s biggest challenge, while insisting they could not be used as an excuse.
He said Ireland executed the basics better with both bat and ball, forcing India out of their preferred aggressive approach.
“I think the conditions were essentially what was our undoing. We didn’t address them well enough,” he said.
“We are probably too used to a style where you can hit sixes more freely. We have to be a lot smarter in these conditions.”
The assistant coach praised India’s bowlers for restricting Ireland to 154 for eight in the second T20I but felt the batting unit failed to adjust quickly enough.
He also defended India’s attacking philosophy in the powerplay despite losing early wickets in the chase.
“I’d be very cautious about saying we need to be careful upfront. That’s not the way we want to play. We just need to make better decisions and give ourselves a better chance to dominate.”
Sooryavanshi ‘ready’, but debut must wait
The series has also fuelled debate over the absence of Sooryavanshi, whose remarkable IPL campaign made him one of the most talked-about young cricketers in the country.
Asked whether the teenager should have featured against Ireland, Ten Doeschate made it clear the coaching staff had no doubts about his ability.
“He is absolutely ready to play international cricket. There is no doubt about that,” he said.
At the same time, he stressed that established players had earned the team’s trust and deserved a longer run before changes were made.
Referring to Sanju Samson, Ten Doeschate said the wicketkeeper-batter had played an important role in India’s T20 World Cup triumph and deserved continued backing.
“It is important to give players confidence. We want to give guys a long run in the team,” he said.
“We are all excited to see Vaibhav play, but he has to go through the same process. There’s certainly no question about how good he is.”
Sooryavanshi enjoyed a breakthrough IPL season, finishing as the tournament’s leading run-scorer while also being named both the Most Valuable Player and Emerging Player.
India now travel to England for a white-ball tour beginning on July 1, where Sooryavanshi could yet receive his first international cap. If selected, the 15-year-old would become India’s youngest international debutant, surpassing the record held by Sachin Tendulkar.