India's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India a record defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It was South Africa's initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory established in the last several months has almost disappeared and the futures of a number of cricketers - as well as head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a smooth transition post the near-simultaneous retirements of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the start of the domestic season enhanced that perception, before the South Africans came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. Yet that does not excuse or justify the squad of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and a few members hoping for extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second clean sweep at home endured by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had secured a surprising 3-0 triumph which effectively cost the hosts a spot in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to South Africa could damage the team's prospects of making the showpiece of this cycle as well.
From number three in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, India have dropped to fifth place. Even though nine additional matches are yet to be played, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - including against the powerful Australians. But the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
India's vulnerability in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, why the team have performed so poorly in Tests at home in recent times is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as invincible in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an anomaly.
Now, India seem vulnerable at home.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they prepared to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as opponents used them more effectively, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to perform better overseas.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would pose to them before.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the side's results at home have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have pointed to multiple deficiencies after India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, arrogance, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the side.
Cricketers such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - came up short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Management Questions
The analysis targeted the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, driven by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the criticism was mentor Gambhir.
At his post-series press
