India's surprising 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recent Test series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, South Africa gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm established in the previous half-year has all but vanished and the prospects of a number of cricketers - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a seamless changeover post the near-simultaneous departures of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the home season boosted that belief, till the Proteas arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Gill was injured early on in the first Test and took no further part in the contest. However, that fails to account for the team of the terribly sub-par showing in both Tests against South Africa.
Some big reputations suffered, and a few members aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were shown as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second series sweep at home experienced by India in just a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a spot in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to South Africa threatens to derail India's chances of reaching the decider of this cycle also.
After being third in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have been relegated to the fifth spot. Even though nine further games are still to come, five of these are against the Aussies. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - including against the strong Australian side. However the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been badly exposed. However, the reason India have struggled so much in Tests on home soil lately is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an anomaly.
Currently, India seem beatable at home.
Facing New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they developed to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as rivals exploited them better, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because local wickets have been altered from turners to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to do well in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would pose to them earlier.
While there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it still does not explain why India's performances on home soil have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complicated issue, not just one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have identified multiple deficiencies following India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the side.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - came up short in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The review also included the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also criticized, spurred on by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. Under focus of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
