The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, the visiting team inflicted upon India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and the host nation's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory gained during the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the careers of several players - as well as team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Disappears
The young team's commendable display in England this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a smooth transition post the close together exits of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over the Windies at the start of the home season boosted that belief, before the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Gill was injured early on in the first Test and was ruled out in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against South Africa.
Some big reputations suffered, and multiple individuals aspiring to lengthy Test careers were shown as 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 more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a remarkable 3-0 win which effectively cost the hosts a berth in the WTC final.
The latest loss to South Africa could damage India's prospects of reaching the decider of this edition as well.
From number three in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have been relegated to the fifth spot. Even though nine additional matches are yet to be played, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even against the mighty Aussies. But the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. However, why the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home lately is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an anomaly.
Today, the team seem easy pickings in their own backyard.
Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they curated to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as rivals used them more effectively, outplaying the home team's players when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that India is floundering in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to perform better in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the IPL, in which many overseas players participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would present to them in the past.
While there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it still does not explain the reason India's performances on home soil have experienced such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not only a few causes.
Experts and participants have pointed to various flaws after the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, poor choices, arrogance, frequent changes of the team lineup, and emphasizing limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was clear in the showings of the squad.
Players like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - came up short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Management Questions
The review didn't spare the entire setup - selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, fuelled by upset followers and critical former players. At the centre of the examination was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
