India's shocking 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recent Test series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, South Africa inflicted upon India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm established in the past six months has largely dissipated and the prospects of multiple squad members - along with head coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The emerging side's impressive performance in England this summer, under a new captain, indicated a successful handover post the near-simultaneous exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season boosted that belief, till the Proteas turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill got injured quickly in the opening Test and did not participate again in the contest. However, that fails to account for the side of the highly disappointing showing in the two games against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and several players hoping for extended tenures in Tests were shown as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second series sweep in home conditions endured by India in just more than a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had secured a surprising 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a berth in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's prospects of making the showpiece of this edition also.
After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to fifth place. Although nine more Tests are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - including against the powerful Australians. However the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's weakness in the longer format has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil recently is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, India were seen as invincible in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an anomaly.
Today, India look to be easy pickings in their own backyard.
Versus New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they prepared to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals used them more effectively, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is failing at home because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to do well abroad.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has taken away the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would pose to them before.
Although there is validity in each argument, it does not clarify the reason the side's results at home have seen such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies after the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the team lineup, and prioritising limited-overs over the longer format.
This was evident in the performances of the team.
Players like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - were found wanting in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Management Questions
The review didn't spare the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also criticized, fuelled by upset followers and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the examination was head coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
