India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate admits the team struggled to adjust to Ireland’s challenging conditions, praising the hosts’ disciplined bowling and stressing the need for smarter adaptation ahead of future overseas tours.

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India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate admitted there was a sense of disbelief in the dressing room after the team’s unexpected 2-0 T20I series defeat to Ireland, saying the visitors failed to adapt quickly enough to unfamiliar conditions. Despite India’s recent success, including triumphs in the ICC Champions Trophy and the T20 World Cup, the series highlighted the importance of adjusting to different playing environments. Ten Doeschate credited Ireland for executing their plans perfectly and said the defeat should serve as an important learning experience for the Indian team.

Speaking after the series, ten Doeschate praised Ireland’s disciplined approach with both bat and ball. He explained that the windy conditions and unfamiliar surfaces disrupted India’s usual attacking style, while Ireland’s bowlers consistently denied the batters the opportunity to hit straight. According to him, India’s inability to respond quickly to those conditions proved to be the biggest difference between the two sides.

The assistant coach emphasized that the conditions were not an excuse but rather a challenge that India failed to overcome. He noted that the team has become accustomed to playing an aggressive brand of cricket, particularly in familiar conditions, but overseas tours demand greater flexibility and smarter decision-making. He added that similar adjustments would be necessary during future tours, including in England, where conditions can also test batting techniques.

Although India improved with the ball in the second T20I after discussing ways to limit Ireland’s scoring areas, Ireland’s bowlers once again produced a disciplined performance. Their seamers avoided overpitching the ball, maintained tight lines and lengths, and restricted India’s scoring opportunities throughout the innings. Ten Doeschate praised their execution, saying Ireland simply performed the basics better than India across both matches.

Despite the disappointing result, the former Netherlands all-rounder made it clear that India would not abandon their aggressive batting philosophy. Instead, he believes the focus should be on choosing better scoring options while maintaining the intent to dominate the powerplay. According to him, India’s attacking mindset has been a key part of the team’s identity over the past few years and should remain intact.

India also had limited time to prepare for the series after arriving in Ireland, with only one proper training session before the opening match. A planned practice session between the two games was cancelled due to a wet outfield, reducing the team’s opportunity to adapt further. However, ten Doeschate insisted that preparation was not the reason for the defeat, stressing that international teams must learn to adjust quickly regardless of circumstances.

He reserved special praise for Ireland, calling their 2-0 series victory a remarkable achievement. Considering India’s wealth of international experience and recent ICC success, he admitted he did not expect such a stern challenge. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that Ireland deserved full credit for their disciplined, intelligent cricket and their ability to maximize every opportunity. India, he concluded, will now use the lessons from this series to improve their adaptability and approach ahead of future overseas assignments.