India's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. This represented South Africa's first series win in India in 25 years and India's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum established in the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the futures of multiple squad members - as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The new-look squad's strong showing in England this season, under a different skipper, indicated a successful handover following the close together retirements of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the start of the home season enhanced that perception, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. Yet that fails to account for the team of the highly disappointing display in both Tests against the opposition.
Some big reputations took a hit, and several players hoping for lengthy Test careers were exposed as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second series sweep in home conditions suffered by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had pulled off a staggering 3-0 win which essentially denied India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to South Africa threatens to derail India's chances of qualifying for the final of this season too.
Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings before the series, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Although nine additional matches are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even against the strong Australian side. However the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas leave little scope for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
India's frailty in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Tests at home recently is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an aberration.
Currently, the team seem easy pickings on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The tracks they curated to suit their strengths failed miserably, as rivals exploited them better, beating the home team's players when it was most crucial.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that India is struggling at home because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to succeed overseas.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players participate, has removed the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would pose to them in the past.
While there is some truth in each argument, it fails to account for the reason the side's results at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a multi-faceted challenge, not only a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have identified multiple deficiencies following India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, frequent changes of the team lineup, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.
This was obvious in the showings of the squad.
Members like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - were found wanting in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not well enough to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The review didn't spare the entire setup - team selectors and backroom team were also under fire, fuelled by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was mentor Gambhir.
During his post-series press
