India's unexpected 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa handed India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. This represented the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum gained during the last several months has almost disappeared and the careers of several players - as well as team coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a seamless changeover after the near-simultaneous departures of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the start of the home season enhanced that perception, until the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill got injured early on in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. But that fails to account for the team of the highly disappointing showing in both Tests against the opposition.
Several established players suffered, and multiple individuals hoping for long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second clean sweep on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a staggering 3-0 victory which effectively cost the hosts a berth in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to the Proteas could damage the team's prospects of reaching the final of this edition too.
After being third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, India have dropped to fifth place. Though nine more Tests are still to come, a majority are against Australia. Usually, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even against the mighty Aussies. However the failures against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
India's frailty in Test cricket has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, why India have struggled so much in Test matches at home lately is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were considered impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an aberration.
Now, the team seem vulnerable in their own backyard.
Against New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they developed to help their style backfired spectacularly, as rivals exploited them better, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from turners to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to perform better in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has taken away the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would pose to them earlier.
Even though there is some truth in each argument, it still does not explain why the team's showings at home have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have identified multiple deficiencies after the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the team lineup, and favoring white-ball over Test cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the team.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - fell short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their ability and standing - but inadequately to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The review also included not only the cricketers - the selection panel and support staff were also criticized, fuelled by upset followers and critical former players. At the centre of the examination was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
