Ashok Malhotra Analyzes India’s Spin Struggles Following Home Test Defeats
Former Indian batter Ashok Malhotra has offered an assessment of the technical issues behind the Indian Test team’s recent difficulties against spin bowling, pointing to the widespread influence of T20 cricket on modern bowling and batting techniques.
What Happened
India experienced consecutive home Test series defeats, suffering a 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand in 2024 and a subsequent 2-0 defeat against South Africa. These results exposed challenges in the team’s ability to tackle quality spin bowling on home tracks.
Assessing the situation in comments reported by The Cricket News, Malhotra stated that the evolution of T20 cricket has altered traditional bowling mechanics. He noted that modern spinners often fire the ball into the pitch rather than focusing on turning it, contrasting current approaches with earlier eras that featured spinners like Bishan Bedi, Rajinder Goel, Dilip Doshi, Padmakar Shivalkar, and Dhiraj Parsana.
Malhotra further observed that current Indian all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel tend not to rely on turning the ball. According to him, this approach has contributed to Indian batters being less equipped to handle genuine spin, enabling visiting teams to capitalise using their own bowling options.
Key Highlights
- India faced consecutive home Test series setbacks, losing 3-0 to New Zealand in 2024 and 2-0 to South Africa.
- Ashok Malhotra attributed the struggles against spin to habits developed in T20 cricket, where bowlers prioritize pace over traditional spin.
- Past spinners such as Bishan Bedi, Rajinder Goel, Dilip Doshi, Padmakar Shivalkar, and Dhiraj Parsana were cited as examples of classical spin bowling.
- Malhotra stated that when front-line bowlers like Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel do not look to spin the ball, batters get fewer chances to face genuine turn.
Why This Matters
When specialist spinners shift away from classical turning techniques, batters have fewer opportunities to hone the skills necessary to counter sharp spin in multi-day cricket. This dynamic has left the national team vulnerable on turning tracks, which opposition teams have exploited in recent Test encounters on Indian soil.
What to Watch Next
The Indian Test team is scheduled to play a two-match Test series in Sri Lanka starting on August 15, 2026, which will serve as an upcoming test for the squad’s approach against spin conditions in the longest format.
Frequently Asked Questions
What were the recent home Test series results referenced by Ashok Malhotra?
India suffered a 3-0 series whitewash against New Zealand in 2024, followed by a 2-0 series loss against South Africa on home soil.
Why does Ashok Malhotra link T20 cricket to Test spin struggles?
Malhotra explained that T20 cricket encourages bowlers to push the ball through at higher speeds rather than extracting turn, which prevents batters from developing the technique needed to face genuine spin in Test matches.
Which former spinners were highlighted as traditional examples?
Malhotra pointed to earlier-generation bowlers including Bishan Bedi, Rajinder Goel, Dilip Doshi, Padmakar Shivalkar, and Dhiraj Parsana.
Source: CricTracker, citing statements reported by The Cricket News.