The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. This represented the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm gained during the past six months has all but vanished and the careers of several players - along with team coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Disappears
The young team's strong showing in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, indicated a seamless changeover after the close together retirements of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the start of the home season strengthened that view, before the South Africans came and inflicted a fell blow.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the initial match and was ruled out in the series. Yet that fails to account for the team of the terribly sub-par display in both Tests against the opposition.
Some big reputations were damaged, and multiple individuals eyeing long red-ball careers were exposed as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
Concerning History
It was the second clean sweep on home soil suffered by India in just a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to South Africa risks harming India's hopes of qualifying for the showpiece of this edition also.
From number three in the WTC table prior to the contest, the side have dropped to fifth place. Although nine more Tests are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even against the powerful Australians. But the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
India's vulnerability in the longer format has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, why the team have performed so poorly in Tests at home lately is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, India were seen as unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that helped spin and benefited their players, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an exception.
Now, India appear to be easy pickings at home.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they prepared to favor their game went wrong completely, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the home team's players when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to prepare players to perform better in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars play, has taken away the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would present to them earlier.
Although there is some truth in these views, it still does not explain why the side's results on home soil have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
Most former players point to a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a few causes.
Experts and participants have identified multiple deficiencies after India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, poor choices, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the team lineup, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.
This was obvious in the performances of the side.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - came up short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not well enough to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The analysis targeted the entire setup - team selectors and backroom team were also under fire, fuelled by upset followers and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the examination was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
