India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, South Africa gave India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. This represented South Africa's maiden series victory in India in 25 years and the host nation's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum gained during the past six months has all but vanished and the prospects of multiple squad members - as well as head mentor the coach - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The young team's impressive performance in England this season, under a new captain, indicated a successful handover following the almost concurrent retirements of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the commencement of the home campaign boosted that belief, before the South Africans arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Gill was injured quickly in the first Test and took no further part in the series. Yet that does not excuse or justify the side of the highly disappointing performance in the two games against South Africa.
Several established players took a hit, and several players aspiring to lengthy Test careers were exposed as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Worrying Trend
It was the second series sweep at home suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 triumph which effectively cost the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming India's hopes of qualifying for the decider of this cycle too.
After being third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, the side have dropped to the fifth spot. Even though nine additional matches are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even against the powerful Australians. However the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's vulnerability in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. However, why the team have fared so badly in Tests at home lately is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, India were considered unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that helped spin and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an exception.
Now, the team seem easy pickings at home.
Versus New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, India were beaten at their own game. The tracks they curated to help their style failed miserably, as rivals exploited them better, outplaying the home team's players when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that India is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from spinning tracks to quick wickets to train the squad to perform better in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players participate, has reduced the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would challenge them with before.
While there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players point to a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a few causes.
Experts and participants have highlighted multiple deficiencies after India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, poor choices, overconfidence, frequent changes of the playing XI, and favoring white-ball over the longer format.
This was evident in the displays of the side.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - came up short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but inadequately to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The review targeted the entire setup - the selection panel and coaching staff were also questioned, driven by upset followers and vocal past stars. At the centre of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
