The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. It marked South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory established in the last several months has largely dissipated and the careers of several players - as well as team coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The young team's strong showing in England this season, under a new captain, indicated a successful handover after the almost concurrent exits of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign boosted that belief, till the Proteas turned up and handed out a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Shubman Gill was injured very early in the first Test and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that does not excuse or justify the squad of the well below standard display in each match against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and multiple individuals eyeing extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second series sweep on home soil experienced by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail India's prospects of making the final of this edition as well.
From number three in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to fifth place. Although nine more Tests are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even against the strong Australian side. However the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's vulnerability in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Tests at home in recent times is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, India were seen as invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an exception.
Today, the team seem vulnerable on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they curated to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that India is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from turners to quick wickets to prepare players to perform better abroad.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which many overseas players participate, has taken away the mystery and hardship home wickets would challenge them with earlier.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for why the team's showings on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have pointed to various flaws following India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, poor choices, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and favoring white-ball over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the squad.
Players such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - fell short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not well enough to secure victories.
Management Questions
The analysis didn't spare not only the cricketers - the selection panel and coaching staff were also under fire, fuelled by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. At the centre of the examination was mentor Gambhir.
During his post-series press
