Modern Indian players not better at playing spin, says Simon Doull: ‘Gone are the days of Sachin, Ganguly, Dravid and Laxman’ | Cricket News

On a day that saw nine India batters fall prey to New Zealand spinners, former Black Caps pacer-turned-commentator Simon Doull claimed that the Indian batters are no longer better at playing spin than their counterparts around the world.
“I think it is a misconception around the world now that these modern Indian players are better playing spin than anyone else. They are not. They are the same as everyone else around the world,” Doull said on JioCinema during the lunch break on Friday.
“Gone are the days of Ganguly, Gambhir, Laxman and Dravid. Sachin was so, so good against spin, and the era before them,” he added.
After New Zealand were restricted for 259 on Day 1, India were unable to mount a lead in the first innings as the batting crumbled for 156 with Mitchell Santner closing the innings with a seven-wicket haul while Glenn Phillips also struck twice.
The lasting image from the collapse saw Virat Kohli dismissed off a full toss, misjudging the line and length while going for a horizontal bat swipe.
Doull believes when it comes to quality spin bowling, current Indian batters are just as susceptive as the others.
“I think good quality spinners are just as good at getting India out on turning tracks as Indian spinners against good quality opposition batters. And the moment they see a turning track in IPL, they complain,” he said.
At the end of the second day, New Zealand have extended their lead to 301 runs with five wickets in hand.

The Black Caps stand on the precipice of their first-ever Test series win in India and a first-ever series loss for the hosts since 2012/13 when England won the four-match series 2-1. If Tom Latham and Co are able to pull it off, it will only be the third time India have been bested in a home Test series in the 21st century.