Former India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has revealed how he approached Virat Kohli about his recurring batting struggles during India's tour of Australia in 2024-25.Ten Doeschate said he had to carefully plan the conversation before raising the issue with the star batter, who was repeatedly getting dismissed while attempting drives outside the off stump.Speaking on the talkSPORT Cricket podcast, the former Netherlands all-rounder discussed how the growing influence of senior players in modern cricket has made coaches more cautious about offering technical advice."I think a lot of coaches are afraid to make interventions because it can be seen that you are, you know, trying to justify your job, or you're interfering, or just saying things for the sake of saying it," Ten Doeschate said. "You've got to strike the balance of making an intervention that's going to help the player, or confusing them."ALSO READ: David Warner Questions Cricket Australia's Probe Into 2018 Ball-Tampering Scandal, Backs Usman KhawajaHe explained that coaches often worry about being seen as interfering or questioning a player's approach, particularly when dealing with established international stars."I never want to be a coach who is scared of an opinion of someone else for stepping in, for saying the right thing. I actually was just telling a really great story about Virat and the troubles he had in Australia with driving the ball and nicking off. Eventually, in the fourth Test, I went to intervene and chat to him. And he was brilliant about it! And he actually wanted someone to chat to him."But my sense is, for a coach to go to a player like Virat Kohli and intervene and almost call them out on what's happening can be dangerous for you as a coach. And I think getting the wording right around that and how you deliver it is so important."The way the power shift has moved towards the players in the modern era does mean that a lot of coaches are scared to bring up topics or at least get talking about it."Ten Doeschate said the challenge was to ensure that any intervention helped the player rather than created further confusion.Recalling Kohli's struggles during the Australia tour, he said the repeated pattern of dismissals eventually prompted him to speak to the batter during the fourth Test."You don't have to agree. You might say, 'I want to drive on the up for these reasons,' and that's actually what happened with Virat. He really explained why he wanted to play in the way he played, and then you can tweak around that."Ten Doeschate admitted that approaching a player of Kohli's stature was not easy. He said he had spent considerable time thinking about how to raise the issue without making the conversation sound confrontational.The former assistant coach eventually chose a rain break during the fourth Test to discuss the matter with Kohli. He said the batter responded positively and was open to having the conversation.Ten Doeschate also acknowledged that coaches can face professional risks when questioning the approach of a senior player, making the timing and wording of such feedback particularly important.What Did Ryan Ten Doeschate Tell Virat Kohli?Ten Doeschate said he had noticed how similar Kohli's dismissals had become during the series. The batter was repeatedly attempting to drive deliveries outside the off stump and getting caught behind or in the slips.He explained that he did not want to directly criticise Kohli's cover drives. Instead, he waited for an appropriate moment to discuss the issue in a way that would allow the batter to share his perspective.According to Ten Doeschate, Kohli explained the reasons behind his shot selection and why he preferred to play those drives. This allowed the two to have a constructive discussion about possible adjustments rather than simply asking the batter to change his approach.Ten Doeschate said the conversation did not produce the results the coaching staff had hoped for towards the end of the series. However, he praised Kohli for being receptive to the discussion.Why Was Ryan Ten Doeschate Hesitant To Approach Virat Kohli?Ten Doeschate also spoke about the changing relationship between players and coaches in modern international cricket.He believes the growing influence of senior players has made some coaches hesitant to offer suggestions, particularly when a player has already established himself at the highest level."There's always a risk that you sort of unsettle his frame of mind. You know, he might be in a really good place, and now you say, 'You know, I've noticed when you're pulling... you're just taking your eye off the ball.' Technically, you might want him to watch the ball a little bit longer, but now all of a sudden he's thinking about pulling, and he's got to go out and face Mitchell Starc. So that's not the time to do it."In that situation, it had been bubbling away, and it was more a case of me building up the courage and delivering it in the right way. I was lucky enough to have a decent relationship with Virat. He's obviously not someone who needs a lot of coaching, and that was one thing that really stuck out-the manner of the dismissal being so same-same."So I had thought about it a lot, and I thought how I could deliver it. You know, I'm not going to go to him and say, 'Mate, you've got cover drives all over the show.' But I then worked out a time-it was during a rain break-where I could deliver it in quite a non-confrontational way. And credit to him, the way he took it on ended up being a really great discussion. Unfortunately, it didn't deliver the results we wanted towards the back end of the series, but you know, I'd say if you can deliver it to someone like him, you can deliver it to anyone. Just finding the right way of dropping your message is really important."He also explained that poorly timed technical advice can affect a batter's confidence. For instance, introducing doubts about a particular shot immediately before a batter faces a quality fast bowler such as Mitchell Starc could disrupt his mindset.ALSO READ: Virat Kohli Net Worth: Cars, Bungalows, Properties, Businesses, Endorsements & MoreAccording to Ten Doeschate, coaches must understand when to intervene and how to communicate their observations without unsettling a player's confidence.He maintained that coaching should involve open discussions rather than simply instructing players to change their techniques.