India’s recent Test struggles at home have brought renewed attention to their approach against spin bowling. The team suffered a 3-0 series whitewash against New Zealand in 2024 before losing 2-0 to South Africa, with both defeats exposing concerns over India’s ability to handle quality spin in the longest format. Former India batter Ashok Malhotra believes the problem is closely linked to the growing influence of T20 cricket.

According to him, the shortest format has changed the way spinners operate, while batters may also be losing exposure to traditional spin bowling techniques. Malhotra pointed out that modern spinners often focus more on accuracy and pace through the air rather than imparting significant turn on the ball. He compared the current approach with the methods used by several renowned Indian spinners from previous generations.

“It’s because of T20 cricket. In T20 cricket, nobody spins the ball; they just fire it in. In our time, there was Bishan Bedi, Rajinder Goel, Dilip Doshi, Padmakar Shivalkar and Dhiraj Parsana. Each team had a good bowler,” Ashok Malhotra was quoted as saying by The Cricket News.

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Malhotra’s criticism also extends to India’s current spin-bowling options. He specifically mentioned Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, arguing that neither spinner relies heavily on traditional turn to beat batters.

“But if you look at the situation now, you have the same Jadeja and Axar Patel, who don’t spin the ball. So, when you don’t have the spinner, how can you play it effectively? That’s why New Zealand beat us with part-time spinners, and then South Africa followed suit,” he said.

The former batter’s comments highlight a wider concern about the changing nature of spin bowling in Indian cricket. When batters regularly face quicker, flatter deliveries instead of genuine turn, they may receive less preparation for dealing with traditional Test spinners who extract significant movement from the surface.

India’s recent home defeats demonstrated how vulnerable the team can become when opposition bowlers find ways to exploit these technical shortcomings. The challenge is not limited to batting alone, as India will also need its own spinners to provide greater variety and threat in Test conditions.

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The upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, beginning on August 15, will provide India with another opportunity to address these concerns. With spin expected to play an important role in the island nation, the series could offer a significant test of India’s ability to adapt and rediscover its effectiveness against quality spin bowling.