Now comes a double challenge. The tour of South Africa, plus handling the absence of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman from the middle order.
If you add an out-of-form and hence excluded Virender Sehwag from the 'missing' list, you can safely say that the Indian batting has undergone a 'heart transplant'. This tour will reflect whether this 'operation' has been successful or whether India still need more 'recovery period' after losing these massive names.
Hence this is not just a tour, it's a peek into India's future in batsmanship.
Thankfully, the new 'fab four' — Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma - give plenty of hope with their exceptional performances in Tests at home and in one-dayers in all conditions. However, they are still to be tested in a five-day game outside the subcontinent against a quality attack. In recent times, many teams have surrendered on the 'fairer' wickets of South Africa, thanks to the trio of Dale Steyn, easily the fastest bowler in world, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel.
Will India's young middle order survive this relentless test by fire?
Praveen Amre, who got a Test hundred on debut in South Africa in 1992, said: "This team will revolve around Kohli. Like Sehwag, Virat too gets his runs quickly and his positivity rubs off on the other batsmen. He is coming into this series having shown unbelievable consistency."
Amre was the coach of India 'A' team and has seen these batsmen from close quarters.
Former India paceman Javagal Srinath said: "The performance of our team minus our batting greats in the past two years has been commendable. I don't think it will go down in South Africa."
Former India opener Lalchand Rajput feels these young guns have enough experience of handling good pace bowling. "Virat did exceedingly well in Australia. Dhawan, Pujara and Rohit did well on the 'A' tour to South Africa earlier this year (where Rajput was the coach of the India 'A' team). They have the experience of playing against the South African bowlers in the IPL too. It will help," said Rajput.
On a positive note, this tour might just give Indian cricket its next genuine batting great.
"It will be a litmus test for these youngsters. It will tell us who is the new 'Wall' of India. At the end of this, there will be a batsman who will stand out and don the mantle of our batting legacy. I am optimistic because our players are high on confidence. And in cricket, confidence is everything," said Rajput.
Amre said: "These boys belong to the same age group, so they gel well and field brilliantly. This is a big plus for India. This era could belong to these batsmen.
"They must stay positive and should not get consumed by pressure. This side is the future of Indian cricket. Whoever does well on this tour, will serve Indian cricket for the next 10 years."
Former captain Dilip Vengsakar said: "It will be difficult to fill Sachin's shoes. His sheer presence will be missed. But Dhawan, Pujara, Kohli and Rohit have gained experience, performed creditably and are in good form. It will be interesting to see how they adapt."
Rohit Sharma averages 288, Dhawan 81, Pujara 65.50 and Kohli 41.16 in Test cricket. India's fate on this tour depends on how 'African safari' alters these figures. At last, the series that every genuine Indian cricket fan had been waiting for, beckons us. Even though politics has reduced the numbers (two Tests and three ODIs), it still promises plenty in terms of excitement and quality; a genuine 'contest' that the home series against West Indies lacked.
Peek into the future
For most in the Indian team, it will be their first visit to South Africa. Given that it's India's first overseas series in the post-Tendulkar era, their performances will be closely watched.
SHIKHAR DHAWAN
The Delhi left-hander launched his Test career with a century on debut, but he doesn't need to be reminded that that Australian attack can't be compared with what he would be facing in the coming weeks. However, the 27-year-old is known for his shot-making and he needs to exactly do that in South Africa, for that's what makes him valuable in the team. So, confidence, immense self-belief and not changing what he has been doing will be the key to his success.
MURALI VIJAY
Form and confidence will be the main factors for this Tamil Nadu batsman. He showed signs of revival with successive centuries against Australia but he would be cursing himself for missing out on a big knock against the West Indies. He is one of those batsmen who flourish when the track offers some bounce and in that sense South Africa is the place for him to prove his mettle. Key factor: Avoiding negativity and fear of failure.
ROHIT SHARMA AND VIRAT KOHLI
If there is one thing that can trip these two, it's over expectation, especially from themselves. The two have been recognised as the next big stars and they indeed have the talent and technique to prove it. The upcoming series is seen as a platform where they can truly realize their potential. They simply have to avoid being over-anxious and simply bat on!
CHETESHWAR PUJARA
If there is a weakness in this Saurashtra top order batsman's technique, it's against the short-pitched stuff. But then, not for nothing was he picked to fill in the slot vacated by Rahul Dravid. Like the former India captain, mental toughness is Pujara's strength. While he can always develop the upper cut, he also has the option of not playing the hook shot at all. And he has the strong mind to curb his natural instinct.
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