The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, South Africa handed India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. This represented South Africa's maiden series victory in India in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory established in the last several months has almost disappeared and the careers of several players - as well as team coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Disappears
The young team's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, indicated a seamless changeover post the near-simultaneous departures of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over West Indies at the start of the home campaign enhanced that perception, till the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
India were somewhat unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill was injured very early in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. However, that neither explains nor absolves the side of the terribly sub-par display in both Tests against South Africa.
Some big reputations were damaged, and a few members hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second series sweep on home soil experienced by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a remarkable 3-0 win which practically cost the hosts a berth in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to the Proteas could damage India's chances of qualifying for the decider of this season also.
From number three in the WTC rankings before the series, India have fallen to number five. Though nine additional matches are still to come, five of these are against the Aussies. Usually, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even when facing the powerful Australians. Yet the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas leave little scope for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's weakness in Test cricket has been badly exposed. However, why the team have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil in recent times is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, India were considered impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an exception.
Today, India appear to be beatable in their own backyard.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to help their style backfired spectacularly, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that India is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from turners to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to do well abroad.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which many overseas players participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would pose to them in the past.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it does not clarify why the team's showings on home soil have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not only one or two factors.
Experts and participants have highlighted several failings post the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the playing XI, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.
This was obvious in the showings of the side.
Cricketers like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - fell short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem didn't spare the entire setup - the selection panel and coaching staff were also criticized, driven by distraught fans and vocal past stars. At the centre of the scrutiny was head coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
