SL vs IND: Kapil Dev explains reason behind Team India’s struggle against spin bowling

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India have traditionally been regarded as one of the best teams when it comes to playing spin bowling. During the Sachin Tendulkar era, the Indian batting line-up regularly produced players capable of dominating quality spinners, while the MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli eras also featured several accomplished players of spin. From Tendulkar’s footwork to the patience of Rahul Dravid and the attacking approach of Virender Sehwag, India once had a strong reputation for handling spin in challenging conditions. However, in recent years, Indian batters have looked increasingly vulnerable against spin, with the problem surfacing across different conditions and against different opponents.

Former India captain Kapil Dev believes one of the biggest reasons behind the problem is the lack of exposure to domestic red-ball cricket among the country’s leading players. According to Kapil, India’s top cricketers need to spend more time playing longer-format domestic matches, where they can sharpen their technique and develop the patience required to tackle quality spin bowling.

“Playing domestic cricket is very important. The reason why Indian teams struggle against spin is that the top players don’t play enough domestic cricket. That’s where the BCCI should put its foot down and make everyone play three-day and four-day matches. The other aspect is that the younger generation will get to learn from top players in domestic cricket,” Kapil said, as quoted by The Times of India.

The 1983 World Cup-winning captain also pointed towards the demanding modern cricket calendar. With players spending a significant amount of time in T20 leagues and ODI cricket, Kapil believes the workload needs to be managed carefully, particularly for fast bowlers.

“One should know about one’s own body. There is too much T20 and ODI cricket happening, so you have to be careful about the toll it takes on the body. Our body is actually not tuned to being a fast bowler. Our body is more tuned to being a batsman. The BCCI should look into how much workload to give fast bowlers,” he added.

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The timing of Kapil’s assessment is particularly significant with India preparing for a two-Test series against Sri Lanka. The first Test begins in Galle on August 15, followed by the second match at the SSC in Colombo from August 23. The series is part of the ongoing World Test Championship cycle. Sri Lanka has traditionally offered conditions in which spinners can become a major factor as matches progress. That could provide a stern examination for India’s current batting unit.

Captain Shubman Gill, vice-captain KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel are among the batters expected to shoulder responsibility during the series. For this group, the challenge will not simply be about scoring runs but also about showing the patience, footwork and shot selection needed to neutralise spin over long periods.

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