KL Rahul admitted on Saturday that India’s long-standing strength against spin has eroded sharply — and he doesn’t know why. Speaking on the eve of the first ODI against South Africa in Ranchi, the stand-in captain said the repeated collapses to spin on turning home tracks have become an uncomfortable pattern. “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 said. India’s decline has been glaring. New Zealand’s 3-0 sweep in 2024 and South Africa’s recent 2-0 win were both driven by disciplined spin attacks led by Mitchell Santner, Ajaz Patel and Simon Harmer respectively. They exposed a batting unit increasingly unsure on surfaces that once suited them best. Rahul acknowledged that the fix won’t be quick. “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 said.The skipper for the ODI series himself, was critcised sharply on live TV, when he lost his wicket to sharp delivery from Proteas spinner Simon Harmer. On comms, Anil Kumble recreated Rahul’s misjudged attempt to flick a sharply turning off-spinner, a gesture that was instantly clipped and shared, creating a buzz among fans. Rahul said he expected a “good pitch for runs” in Ranchi but would assess conditions before finalizing the XI. He also underlined the value of strike rotation in ODIs after watching Virat Kohli’s intense training session. “In ODIs, singles are as important as boundaries. Virat is a master at that. We all keep learning from him,” he said.
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With Rohit Sharma, Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja back, Rahul said the dressing room feels steadier after the Test series setback. “Having their presence and experience helps out a lot of players… Winning is the most important thing,” he added. On Rishabh Pant’s chances, Rahul kept the door open but non-committal. “He is good enough to play as a batter,” he said, though it remains to be seen who will keep wickets.
