India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded Test series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, South Africa gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's second home series loss in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum gained during the last several months has largely dissipated and the careers of several players - including team coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The young team's strong showing in England this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a seamless changeover after the near-simultaneous departures of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the domestic season strengthened that view, till the Proteas arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury quickly in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the side of the terribly sub-par performance in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players took a hit, and a few members eyeing lengthy Test careers were shown as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second whitewash on home soil experienced by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a remarkable 3-0 triumph which practically cost India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa could damage India's hopes of reaching the final of this season as well.
Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, the side have been relegated to number five. Though nine further games are remaining, a majority are against Australia. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a major plus - including against the powerful Australians. But the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. However, why India have fared so badly in Tests at home in recent times is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were regarded as impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on tracks that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an aberration.
Currently, the team seem easy pickings on home turf.
Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they developed to suit their strengths failed miserably, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering at home because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to quick wickets to prepare players to succeed abroad.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players play, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would present to them before.
While there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it does not clarify why the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players diagnose a complicated issue, not only a few causes.
Experts and participants have identified several failings following India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the squad.
Members such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - were found wanting in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not well enough to win matches.
Management Questions
The analysis also included just the players - selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, spurred on by distraught fans and vocal past stars. Under focus of the examination was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
