India's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. It was South Africa's initial series triumph in India in 25 years and the host nation's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory built over the last several months has almost disappeared and the futures of several players - as well as team coach the coach - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The young team's strong showing in England this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a smooth transition post the almost concurrent departures of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the start of the home season boosted that belief, until the Proteas arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that skipper Shubman Gill was injured early on in the initial match and did not participate again in the contest. However, that fails to account for the team of the well below standard showing in both Tests against South Africa.
Some big reputations were damaged, and several players eyeing extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not up to the mark - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second clean sweep on home soil suffered by India in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had secured a surprising 3-0 win which effectively cost the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to South Africa could damage India's chances of making the decider of this cycle also.
Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have fallen to number five. Though nine additional matches are remaining, a majority are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason India have fared so badly in Test matches at home in recent times is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that assisted spinners and aided their squad, India brooked no opposition. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an aberration.
Now, India appear to be beatable at home.
Versus New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they developed to help their style backfired spectacularly, as opponents used them more effectively, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is struggling at home because domestic pitches have been modified from turners to fast tracks to prepare players to perform better overseas.
Some point out that the IPL, in which many overseas players take part, has taken away the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would pose to them in the past.
While there is validity in both analyses, it still does not explain why India's performances on home soil have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted several failings following India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, frequent changes of the team lineup, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.
This was evident in the displays of the squad.
Cricketers such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - came up short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not well enough to secure victories.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted just the players - team selectors and support staff were also questioned, driven by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the criticism was team coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
