Want to develop Nitish as allrounder, no panic with Sai: ten Doeschate

India are unlikely to tinker with their winning combination despite the "dry and patchy" surface expected for the second Test against West Indies in Delhi, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said. The decision to persist with the same side that was picked for a pace-friendly track in Ahmedabad, he explained, stems from the team's broader focus on developing a seam-bowling allrounder who can add balance and versatility, particularly on overseas tours.

"I think it's a little bit too early to say on the pitch, but today this side in particular looks very dry and it's very patchy," ten Doeschate said two days out from the Test. "So, we don't think it's going to be a wicket that necessarily helps the seam bowlers. I don't think that's a big surprise in Delhi.

"And I'd say we're unlikely to change the combination. One of the objectives, one of the sort of medium-term objectives, is to develop a seam-bowling all-rounder for India. It's very important when we go away on tours that we have that position covered. We didn't get a very good look at Nitish last week. So, I think it's actually a very good opportunity to give Nitish another go and not alter the balance of the team."

Nitish didn't get to bat in India's innings win in the first Test and bowled only four overs as first-change, all of them in one spell. That limited exposure, ten Doeschate said, has made the second Test a chance to see more of him in action, though the youngster's fitness could be the key to how far he goes as an all-rounder.

"We think he's a fantastic seam-bowling all-rounder, a batter that bowls seam," he said. "I think the biggest sort of limitation to what his ceiling could be is going to be his body. He's not the first all-rounder we've seen in this country. That applies to, let's be perfectly honest, Hardik'sthe same sort of character of a player where we don't doubt their skills at all. But for their bodies to hold up to play Test cricket is a different matter.

"Nitish has shown everyone in Australia just how good he is as a batter. And again, the challenge for him is going to be to make sure that he gets game time in between the away series.

"I think a series like this where you look at the combinations, it's more important to look ahead and see how we can fit him in to make sure that he does get game time and the chance to develop his bowling. We think he's a quality all-rounder."

The management's decision to pencil Nitish at No. 8 sparked debate about whether that position helps his development, but ten Doeschate said the current middle order allows flexibility and competition.

"Lucky, the thing for us is that Washy [Washington Sundar] and Jaddu [Ravindra Jadeja] and Axar are pretty much the same sort of players who can bat anywhere from 5 to 8," he said. "On the most recent evidence, Washy getting runs in the UK, obviously Jaddu's form in the last six months has been immense.

"When Nitish came back into the team after his injury, it put him right at the back of the list and that's the reason why he batted 8. And like I said, the only drawback or the only sort of downer from last week from that first Test was the fact that Nitish didn't get to compete in any of the departments.

"But I think it's also a strong message to the guys who are batting for that spot that you need to be versatile. You need to be able to bat anywhere from 5 all the way through to 8. And we feel that's a good way to better players, that they can perform in different scenarios and in different positions. Like I said, they're all disappointed that they're not batting 6 or 7. That means, in their cricket, they are in a good space."

While Nitish continues to find his footing in the allrounder's role, the other young face in India's top order, Sai Sudharsan, has been backed to come good after a mixed start to his Test career. Having begun the England tour at No. 3 before losing his place to Karun Nair and reclaiming it for the final Test, Sai now has another chance to make that position his own.

"I think he's under no illusion, and you can't hide away from the fact that you do fight for a spot in this environment," ten Doeschate said of Sai. "You saw Karun Nair get four Test matches in England. There are a lot of good players about to get on the heels of whoever has possession of that spot.

"So, Sai just needs to focus on believing in himself. We've obviously got a lot of belief in him to give him that number three spot. He's playing pretty nicely. Probably a tactical mistake the other day, which you'll be aware of, playing back to a ball so early in the innings.

"And we just want him to go in there and just bat. We know he's good enough and now he has to find a way of scoring runs and showing the rest of the country and the rest of the team that he's good enough to hold that spot. But certainly, no panic or no worry. Particularly in a winning team, you can absorb that."

These two home Tests against West Indies, coming after a demanding tour of England, has allowed the management to give an uninterrupted run to Sai, even if the schedule itself has been somewhat of a start-stop.

"In a series like this, it's nice. We know he's going to get four knocks. Well, obviously, only one knock in the first Test, but he's going to get two Test matches to put his aims together," ten Doeschate said.

"It's probably a little bit early to be sort of worried or panic-stricken. It doesn't help that you have five Test matches in the UK and then you wait six weeks to play the next Test match. It's the same thing happening after this Test next week, we don't have a Test match for another three and a half weeks. So there's no sort of string of fixtures to get your rhythm and to get yourself going. But again, that is the nature of Test cricket in this era and he has to find a way to do it.

"But yeah, I'm sure he does feel like he's got our backing, like he's got the captain's backing and the coaching staff's backing. And we feel he'll deliver on his promise very, very soon."

The rise of Dhruv Jurel, who impressed with a hundred in the first Test and could even play as a pure batter when Rishabh Pant returns, adds further competition to the middle-order mix, something ten Doeschate feels Sai must embrace.

"I'd imagine it does," he said. "I think Dhruv Jurel, last week he's got a good play as we've known that all along. And in addition to that, there are other good players who are fighting for top three or top four spots. Obviously, Shubman's got four now down, but Sai's aware of that.

"I don't think you pursue a career playing cricket in India if you don't expect that sort of competition and people clawing at you, the media clawing at you. That's part and parcel of it and we know Sai's tough enough to deal with that. Like I say, he's just got to go out there now and score the runs we think he's worthy of getting."