India, Nov. 29 -- India's 408-run implosion against South Africa at home has triggered the usual noise about technique, pitches, and IPL hangovers. But Kapil Dev isn't interested in buzzwords. He's asking one simple, old-school question: "Are India's best batters even playing enough domestic cricket to know how to survive spin anymore?"

The 1983 World Cup-winning captain, speaking to Sportstar, drew a sharp contrast between previous generations and the current crop.

"That was because they had individual style, footwork, and the fact that they played good domestic cricket on a variety of pitches. I just want to know how many of today's top players are playing domestic cricket. That's the most crucial thing. If you don't play domestic cri...