India's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, South Africa gave India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It marked South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and the host nation's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum established in the past six months has largely dissipated and the careers of several players - as well as head mentor the coach - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Disappears
The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a smooth transition post the near-simultaneous retirements of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the start of the domestic season boosted that belief, until the South Africans turned up and handed out a fell blow.
India were somewhat unlucky that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the initial match and took no further part in the series. But that does not excuse or justify the squad of the highly disappointing performance in the two games against South Africa.
Some big reputations suffered, and multiple individuals aspiring to lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second series sweep on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just more than a year. Last year, underestimated the Kiwis had secured a remarkable 3-0 win which essentially denied India a spot in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail India's chances of making the showpiece of this season as well.
From number three in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, the side have dropped to number five. Even though nine additional matches are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - including against the mighty Aussies. Yet the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
India's vulnerability in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why India have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil lately is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an exception.
Currently, India appear to be easy pickings at home.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they curated to help their style backfired spectacularly, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that India is failing in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from spinning tracks to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to succeed abroad.
Some point out that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has removed the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would pose to them earlier.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for the reason the side's results at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars point to a complicated issue, not limited to one or two factors.
Critics and players have pointed to several failings post India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.
This was evident in the performances of the squad.
Players such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - were found wanting in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Management Questions
The review didn't spare just the players - team selectors and backroom team were also under fire, driven by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. At the centre of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
