The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, the visiting team inflicted upon India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory established in the past six months has all but vanished and the careers of multiple squad members - along with team coach the coach - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The emerging side's commendable display in England this season, under a fresh leadership, suggested a seamless changeover following the close together departures of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the start of the home campaign boosted that belief, until the South Africans turned up and handed out a fell blow.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill was injured quickly in the opening Test and was ruled out in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par performance in both Tests against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and multiple individuals hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second clean sweep in home conditions experienced by India in just a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had pulled off a staggering 3-0 triumph which essentially denied the hosts a place in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming India's prospects of qualifying for the showpiece of this season also.
Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have dropped to fifth place. Although nine further games are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - including against the strong Australian side. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
India's vulnerability in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason India have fared so badly in Tests on home soil lately is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, India were considered unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an anomaly.
Today, the team seem vulnerable on home turf.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they developed to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as rivals used them more effectively, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that India is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to perform better abroad.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has reduced the mystery and hardship home wickets would pose to them in the past.
Even though there is validity in each argument, it does not clarify the reason the team's showings on home soil have seen such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars identify a multi-faceted challenge, not only a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have identified several failings after the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.
This was clear in the showings of the side.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - came up short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but inadequately to secure victories.
Management Questions
The post-mortem also included just the players - team selectors and backroom team were also questioned, fuelled by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. Under focus of the examination was head coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
