The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa inflicted upon India a record defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. It was South Africa's initial series triumph in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum established in the past six months has all but vanished and the careers of several players - along with team coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this season, under a different skipper, indicated a successful handover post the near-simultaneous retirements of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the commencement of the home campaign boosted that belief, until the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
India were a tad unfortunate that leader Gill got injured very early in the initial match and was ruled out in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the side of the well below standard display in the two games against the opposition.
Several established players suffered, and a few members eyeing long red-ball careers were exposed as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This was the second series sweep at home endured by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had pulled off a surprising 3-0 win which essentially denied India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to South Africa risks harming the team's hopes of reaching the decider of this season also.
Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have fallen to the fifth spot. Although nine additional matches are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's weakness in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why India have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil recently is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as impregnable in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an aberration.
Currently, the team look to be easy pickings in their own backyard.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they prepared to help their style failed miserably, as the opposition used them more effectively, outplaying the home team's players when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that India is floundering at home because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to do well overseas.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would present to them earlier.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the team's showings at home have seen such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars identify a multi-faceted challenge, not just one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to various flaws post India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the team lineup, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the performances of the side.
Players like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - came up short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - team selectors and backroom team were also criticized, fuelled by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the scrutiny was mentor Gambhir.
During his post-series press
