Team India need to introspect after their horrendous South Africa tour

Team India endured a horrendous tour of South Africa. Despite winning the first Test, the visitors lost the three-match rubber by a 2-1 margin. It was a sadder story in the ODIs, with the Proteas whitewashing the Indians 3-0. Unfortunately for India, the overall 5-1 scoreline perfectly reflects reality.

This current Indian side are far from ideal. They are desperately missing Rohit Sharma as a top-order batter. India are also missing Virat Kohli's leadership traits. Kohli is no longer India's captain in any format. While Team India's batting unit has misfired more often than not, their bowlers also lacked the bite against South Africa.

The all-rounder dilemma: Team India's Achilles' heel

India's unsuccessful 2021 T20 World Cup campaign highlighted and magnified the importance of a bowling all-rounder. In an ideal world, Hardik Pandya or Ravindra Jadeja are the best choices for the role. But right now, India's case is far from perfect.

India played with Shardul Thakur, Venkatesh Iyer and Ravichandran Ashwin in the ODI series against South Africa. Barring Thakur, who looks more like a batting all-rounder, the other two players made next to no impact. Also, playing the trio eliminates Mohammed Siraj from the playing XI, a massive loss for India's bowling unit.

In contrast, South Africa deployed Aiden Markram as the sixth bowler. With Markram's support, the Proteas spinners have claimed eight wickets at an average of 33. In comparison, India's spinners and all-rounders managed only three wickets at an average of 109.

With the T20 and ODI World Cups scheduled to take place over the next two years, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Indian think tank need to return to the drawing board and make a robust outline rather than a short-term plan.

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How much cricket is too much cricket?

Ever since cricket resumed in late 2020 after the COVID-19-enforced break, there has not been a single month where Team India have not been in action. Players these days are subjected to the highest levels of restrictions with the newly normalized bio-bubbles.

India's multi-format players, including the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant and Shardul Thakur, played almost every series in 2021-22, including IPL 2021, which was a two-staged affair.

If we analyze Indian players against other top-tier teams like Australia or New Zealand, two striking differences come to light. Other teams do not have as packed schedules and tours as Team India. Plus, player rotation and workload management are often important decision-makers in team selection.

The BCCI, selection board, coaching staff, and even the players themselves do not give that much importance to these two points, which leads to inconsistent or subpar performances on the field.

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Captaincy debacle: The elephant in the room

Virat Kohli's announcement to resign from the T20I captaincy in September 2021 started a chain of reactions. Many shots were fired by former cricketers, board members, the selection committee, and Kohli himself.

Amidst the chaos, the BCCI selected a new leadership group with a long-term vision beyond the 2023 ODI World Cup and relieved Kohli of his duties in the 50-over format as well, with Rohit Sharma announced as India's new limited-overs skipper.

Following India's 2-1 loss against South Africa in Tests, Kohli also stepped down as captain in the longest format. Team India now need strong leadership within the group. Rohit Sharma is the next ideal choice for the Test captaincy, but that doesn't resolve the "single-multiformat captain" concern raised by the BCCI earlier.

While Rahul Dravid and Kohli tried to isolate themselves and the team from all the chaos, the team's performance hints that it did impact the group. The BCCI, coaching staff, and the selection committee have a steep task of regrouping the team and giving them a sense of assurance and calm for the future.

Touring teams often face a slight disadvantage in any series across formats. But Team India's lack of fight, unstable middle order and overall lack of intent are few significant concerns following the South Africa tour. A brutal, honest and fair analysis of the tour is necessary for a victorious future.