KL Rahul Admits Having No Answer For India’s Batting Struggles Against Spin

Stand-in captain KL Rahul expressed concern over the Indian batting lineup’s repeated failures against spin bowling.

Indian stand-in ODI captain KL Rahul has expressed concern over the team’s declining performance against spin bowling. He admitted he does not have a “definitive answer” for this unexpected weakness on home pitches.

His remarks highlight a troubling trend where the Indian batting lineup, traditionally strong against spin, has consistently faltered. In 2024 alone, New Zealand whitewashed India 3-0 and South Africa won 2-0, largely due to their spinners dominating on turning tracks. Bowlers like Mitchell Santner, Ajaz Patel, and Simon Harmer have repeatedly exposed this vulnerability.

“We haven’t played spin well enough in the last couple of seasons. I really don’t know why we did it earlier and why we aren’t doing it now. I don’t have a definitive answer. All we can do is to look at how to get better individually and as a batting group,” Rahul was quoted as saying at the pre-match press conference ahead of the first ODI against South Africa.

He emphasized that improvements would be a gradual process requiring technical adjustments.<h2>Seeking Improvements and Senior Guidance</h2>

“It won’t change overnight. We’ll look at what improvements we need, and hopefully by the time the Sri Lanka and Australia series come around, we’ll be better prepared. We’ll also reach out to seniors who played spin exceptionally well,” he added.

Rahul stated that each batter must personally find solutions to regain their traditional advantage. His concerns were recently echoed by former spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. Ashwin had called India’s batting “pathetic” against spin and said the team has become “probably one of the poorest spin-playing nations in the world.” Ashwin also defended coach Gautam Gambhir, stating it is unfair to blame him when players have not taken enough responsibility.