3 massive areas of concern for Team India from their 2-0 Test series loss to South Africa ft. Gautam Gambhir's tactics

India suffered yet another embarrassing home series loss, this time at the hands of South Africa. The Proteas secured a commanding 2-0 win in the rubber, courtesy of a mammoth 408-run rout of the hosts in Guwahati on Wednesday, November 26.

India's hopes in the World Test Championship have taken a massive hit, and the pressure has mounted on many of the players and coaching staff. A team that once looked infallible at home has now become overly fragile, and there are a variety of issues across departments.

On that note, here are three massive areas of concern for Team India from their 2-0 Test series loss to South Africa.

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#3 India don't seem to have the batting range to survive tough conditions

India v South Africa - 1st Test - Source: Getty

Whether India should prepare turning tracks or not is still up for debate, but there's no doubt that their batters arguably don't have the skillset needed to counter spicy pitches. Experienced batters like Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane struggled as well, and things don't seem to have gotten much better in the newer generation.

India don't have many batters to play the sweep confidently. Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel and Washington Sundar aren't known for their cross-batted play, while others like Ravindra Jadeja have had issues with playing behind or alongside their front pad.

There are also doubts over the ideal tempo to bat at. India haven't seemed to be able to strike the right balance between attack and defense against spin, both individually and collectively. This could become a problem during their upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, where spinners are expected to play central roles.

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#2 The hosts' team combination almost never looks settled

England v India - 4th Rothesay Test Match: Day One - Source: Getty

During the South Africa Test series, India played something close to their first-choice bowling attack. They had three quality spin options and two frontline pacers - arguably the ideal combination for conditions at home.

Despite that, however, India's team combination didn't look settled. Nitish Reddy looked out of place in the lower-middle order and wasn't trusted much with the ball, while Washington Sundar was shunted up and down the lineup.

Both home and away, India don't seem to be able to strike the right balance between batting and bowling. The absence of a quality fast-bowling all-rounder of the mold of Marco Jansen and Ben Stokes has been a major drawback for a while now, and the two-time WTC finalists are starting to feel the pinch even in the subcontinent these days.

Where will India find a player of that caliber? None of the domestic options have knocked down the door, while Reddy's bowling ceiling seems limited because of his height and pace.

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#1 Gautam Gambhir's approach doesn't inspire a ton of confidence

India Vs South Africa First Test - Practice Day 1. - Source: Getty

What is Gautam Gambhir's vision for the Indian team? In almost every press conference, the head coach has managed to come up with contradictory statements. Following the Guwahati Test, he delivered aggressive responses to questions in an arguably defensive manner.

Gambhir's insistence on all-rounders hasn't worked well in the longer formats, and after two whitewashes at the hands of New Zealand and South Africa, it's hard to justify his tactics. It's even debatable that India's tour of England could've gone much worse than it did, given the team's refusal to pick an attack that could take 20 wickets.

Against South Africa, the decision to drop Sai Sudharsan and field Axar Patel was baffling. Gambhir even came out and stated that the pitch was just as the hosts wanted it, a claim that was later refuted by a member of his own coaching staff. Picking Reddy in Guwahati wasn't a smart move, while in-game tactics left a lot to be desired as well.

Gambhir doesn't seem to understand tactics, especially in the longer formats. His coaching experience is limited, and whether he has the willingness to learn from his mistakes remains to be seen. As things stand, though, one of India's most pressing concerns is their coach's lack of nous.