Ten Doeschate on coaching Kohli: risks and timing

Ryan ten Doeschate, who served as India’s assistant coach, has opened up about the delicate balance required when offering technical guidance to established players. The modern era has shifted considerable power towards senior cricketers, creating a hesitation among coaching staff to voice concerns or suggestions.

Speaking on the talkSPORT Cricket podcast, ten Doeschate reflected on how this dynamic affects the relationship between coaches and world-class batters who have earned the right to play their own way. Ten Doeschate explained the psychological barriers that prevent many coaches from stepping in with advice. He noted that coaches often fear their interventions will be perceived as attempts to justify their roles, as interference, or as unsolicited commentary. The challenge intensifies when dealing with elite players who command respect through their track record and experience.

“I think a lot of coaches are afraid to make interventions because it can be seen that you are, you know, trying to justify your job, or you’re interfering, or just saying things for the sake of saying it,” Doeschate said in the above mentioned source.

Why do coaches fear intervening with senior players?

During India’s tour of Australia, Kohli endured a prolonged lean patch, repeatedly falling in identical fashion while driving outside off stump. The problem manifested across multiple dismissals during the series, creating a situation where ten Doeschate felt compelled to offer guidance. However, the timing and manner of such interventions carry significant risk, particularly when a batter faces elite pace bowling.

Ten Doeschate highlighted the danger of unsettling a player’s mindset at the wrong moment. When a batter is mentally settled and about to face top-tier pace bowlers like Mitchell Starc, introducing a technical critique can shift their focus in counterproductive ways. A comment about footwork or shot selection might cause the player to overthink their approach precisely when instinct and confidence are most valuable.

“There’s always a risk that you sort of unsettle his frame of mind. You know, he might be in a really good place, and now you say, ‘You know, I’ve noticed when you’re pulling… you’re just taking your eye off the ball.’ Technically, you might want him to watch the ball a little bit longer, but now all of a sudden he’s thinking about pulling, and he’s got to go out and face Mitchell Starc. So that’s not the time to do it,” Doeschate said.

How did ten Doeschate approach Kohli during the Australia tour?

During the fourth Test in Australia, ten Doeschate found an opportunity to approach Kohli during a rain break. He carefully considered how to deliver his message in a non-confrontational manner, avoiding blunt criticism that might alienate the player or damage their working relationship. Rather than telling Kohli his cover drives were scattered, ten Doeschate worked out a thoughtful approach to the conversation.

“So I had thought about it a lot, and I thought how I could deliver it. You know, I’m not going to go to him and say, ‘Mate, you’ve got cover drives all over the show.’ But I then worked out a time-it was during a rain break-where I could deliver it in quite a non-confrontational way. And credit to him, the way he took it on ended up being a really great discussion. Unfortunately, it didn’t deliver the results we wanted towards the back end of the series, but you know, I’d say if you can deliver it to someone like him, you can deliver it to anyone. Just finding the right way of dropping your message is really important,” Doeschate said.

Kohli responded positively to the intervention and engaged in a genuine dialogue about his batting approach. Rather than dismissing the suggestion, Kohli explained his reasoning for playing the way he did, offering his perspective on why he wanted to drive on the up. This collaborative discussion allowed ten Doeschate to understand Kohli’s thought process and work around it rather than impose a rigid technical change.

“You don’t have to agree. You might say, ‘I want to drive on the up for these reasons,’ and that’s actually what happened with Virat. He really explained why he wanted to play in the way he played, and then you can tweak around that,” Doeschate said.

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