India's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, South Africa handed India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It was South Africa's maiden series victory in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and the host nation's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum gained during the past six months has largely dissipated and the futures of multiple squad members - including team coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The emerging side's strong showing in England this season, under a different skipper, suggested a successful handover after the almost concurrent departures of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season enhanced that perception, till the South Africans came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill was injured early on in the opening Test and did not participate again in the series. But that fails to account for the side of the highly disappointing showing in each match against South Africa.
Several established players suffered, and a few members hoping for long red-ball careers were shown as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Worrying Trend
This was the second series sweep in home conditions experienced by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had secured a remarkable 3-0 win which effectively cost the hosts a place in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage the team's chances of making the showpiece of this cycle too.
After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have dropped to the fifth spot. Though nine more Tests are still to come, a majority are against Australia. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even against the powerful Australians. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. However, the reason India have performed so poorly in Test matches at home lately is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, the hosts brooked no opposition. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an aberration.
Currently, the team appear to be vulnerable in their own backyard.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The tracks they prepared to favor their game failed miserably, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling at home because home surfaces have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to succeed abroad.
Some point out that the IPL, in which many overseas players play, has removed the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would challenge them with earlier.
While there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the side's results at home have seen such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
Most former players diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a few causes.
Experts and participants have highlighted various flaws following the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was clear in the showings of the side.
Members like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - came up short in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Management Questions
The post-mortem also included just the players - the selection panel and support staff were also criticized, driven by upset followers and critical former players. Under focus of the scrutiny was head coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
