India has lost two home Test series in thirteen months, and opposition spinners outbowled them in both. The BCCI’s response, appointing a dedicated spin bowling coach for the senior men’s team for the first time, is a direct admission that something structural went wrong. Five losses in seven home Tests against New Zealand and South Africa exposed a gap between India’s spin output and what visiting teams produced on the same surfaces. That specific gap had become impossible to ignore.
Two Series, Five Home Defeats
In October 2024, New Zealand toured India as underdogs and left with a 3-0 win. Mitchell Santner took 13 wickets in a single Test in Pune. Ajaz Patel took 11 in Mumbai. Ashwin, the most experienced spinner in the world at that stage, managed 9 wickets at 41.22. India’s spinners were outbowled on their own pitches. Twelve months later, South Africa repeated the exercise. Simon Harmer took 17 wickets across two Tests at 8.94, including 6/37 in the second innings at Guwahati. India lost that match by 408 runs. Five losses from seven home Tests. Not since 2012 had India’s home record looked this exposed.
| Series | Bowler | Team | Wickets | Avg | Note |
| IND vs NZ 2024 | Mitchell Santner | NZ | 13 | 12.07 | 13 wkts in 1 Test, Pune |
| IND vs NZ 2024 | Ajaz Patel | NZ | 11 | 14.54 | 11 wkts in 1 Test, Mumbai |
| IND vs NZ 2024 | R. Ashwin | IND | 9 | 41.22 | Outbowled on home pitches |
| IND vs SA 2025 | Simon Harmer | SA | 17 | 8.94 | Player of Series: 6/37 in Guwahati |
| IND vs SA 2025 | Marco Jansen | SA | 12 | 10.08 | Pace support |
| IND vs SA 2025 | Ravindra Jadeja | IND | 4 | 12.50 | 4/50 in 1st Test 2nd innings |
Sairaj Bahutule, India Spin Bowling Coach Test Cricket
Bahutule, 53, is a former leg-spinner who took 633 first-class wickets across a career covering Mumbai, Gujarat, Vidarbha, Bengal, and Kerala. He played 2 Tests and 8 ODIs for India between 1997 and 2003. What makes him the right fit isn’t the playing record; it’s the coaching pathway. He joined the NCA, now the BCCI Centre of Excellence, in 2021 and spent three years working with India A teams on multiple tours, operating under Rahul Dravid on senior men’s assignments.
His most significant credential is the 2022 ICC Under-19 World Cup, where he served as bowling coach for a side that won the tournament. He was also part of the 2024 U19 setup. His IPL experience spans Rajasthan Royals from 2018 to 2021, a return in 2025, and Punjab Kings in 2026. He joins Gautam Gambhir’s staff alongside batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, fast bowling coach Morne Morkel, fielding coach T Dilip, and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate.
The Spinners He Inherits Now
Jadeja is 37 and still active, his last Test coming against South Africa in November 2025. Kuldeep, 31, is the younger of the established pair, but 4/115 in the first innings of the Guwahati Test showed the cost of his variations when conditions don’t assist. Washington Sundar took 16 wickets in two Tests against New Zealand in 2024 and remains the most interesting developmental case. Ashwin retired in December 2024 after the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, finishing with 537 wickets in 106 Tests. His replacement hasn’t been found yet. Sairaj Bahutule’s job isn’t just to improve what India already has. It’s to identify and fast-track whoever comes next.
His three years at the Centre of Excellence give him a detailed map of the domestic spin pipeline. He knows who’s coming through before the selectors decide they need to call on them. That institutional knowledge, not available to any external appointment, is arguably his most valuable asset.
Afghanistan Test: Bahutule’s Opening Brief
The one-off Afghanistan Test in Chandigarh from June 6 to 10 is Bahutule’s first assignment. Afghanistan is a spin-heavy side themselves, meaning India’s spinners will face a direct comparison with their counterparts from ball one. If India’s spinners control the contest and the visiting attack doesn’t, the appointment will have shown early returns. If not, the questions will arrive sooner than the BCCI expected. India is sixth in the WTC 2025-27 standings with four wins, four defeats, and one draw from nine matches, a points percentage of 48.15.
The margin for further slip is narrow. Bahutule arrives knowing the cycle is already nine matches old and that dropped points cannot be recovered, only offset. Whether he can deliver on the Sairaj Bahutule India spin bowling coach Test cricket brief within this WTC cycle will define whether the role was a structural solution or a reactive gesture to two bad series.