India Focused on Discipline, Not Emotion, Ahead of Pakistan Clash: Ryan ten Doeschate

India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate believes his side starts as favourites in the much-anticipated Asia Cup clash against Pakistan, but insists that the outcome will ultimately come down to execution and discipline on the day.

Speaking ahead of the high-voltage encounter, ten Doeschate pointed to India’s dominant run since the 2024 T20 World Cup as evidence of their strong position. India have won 85.7% of their matches during this period, significantly ahead of Pakistan’s 50% win rate. Their batting and bowling statistics also reflect their superior form — a batting average of 29.4 against Pakistan’s 19.9, a strike rate of 156.5 versus 129.3, and a bowling average and strike rate of 16.4 and 13.3 respectively, both best in the world.

“Looking at recent form and how the teams have played, I would say India do start favourites tomorrow,” ten Doeschate said. “But obviously, cricket at this level is about how you execute on the day. We’ll be focused on the 120 balls with the bat, and 120 balls when we bowl, and the team that is more consistent over those 120 balls will be better.”

Despite the pressure and public sentiment surrounding an India-Pakistan fixture, ten Doeschate emphasized that the team’s preparation has remained grounded and routine. There has been no "special preparation" for the match, he said, with the coaching staff — including head coach Gautam Gambhir — stressing the importance of focusing only on controllables.

“The preparation and focus this week haven’t been any different to our preparation for any other important game,” he said. “Gauti’s message has been very professional — about not worrying about things that are out of our control, and being emotionless when approaching the cricket side of things.”

He acknowledged the sensitive nature of the fixture and the strong feelings among the Indian public, but reiterated that professionalism must take precedence.

“It’s a very sensitive issue, and I’ve got no doubt the players share the compassion and feeling of the vast majority of the Indian public,” he said. “But once we knew we were going to be here and playing, we’ve just tried to get on with the business of it.”

The Asia Cup itself was in limbo for a while, and ten Doeschate admitted that the uncertainty around its staging was one of the more frustrating parts for the team. Now that the tournament is underway, however, India are fully focused on execution and maintaining consistency.

“We are following the direction of what the BCCI and Indian government have decided is right for the country at the moment,” he added. “Again, it goes back to controlling those emotions. We want to prepare for every single game in the same manner.”

With sentiment running high and national pride on the line, India’s coaching staff is banking on composure, consistency, and clarity of role — key traits they believe will make the difference in this emotionally charged encounter.