India's shocking 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded Test series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, South Africa handed India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It marked South Africa's first series win in India in 25 years and India's second home series loss in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum gained during the last several months has largely dissipated and the careers of a number of cricketers - as well as head coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a smooth transition post the near-simultaneous departures of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the start of the home campaign strengthened that view, until the Proteas arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
India were somewhat unlucky that captain Gill was injured quickly in the first Test and took no further part in the series. However, that fails to account for the team of the well below standard performance in the two games against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and several players eyeing long red-ball careers were shown as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second whitewash at home experienced by India in just a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had secured a remarkable 3-0 triumph which practically cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas threatens to derail India's chances of reaching the final of this cycle also.
After being third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, the side have dropped to the fifth spot. Even though nine further games are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even against the powerful Australians. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
India's weakness in the longer format has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil recently is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, India were seen as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that helped spin and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Currently, India look to be easy pickings on home turf.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they developed to help their style backfired spectacularly, as rivals exploited them better, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to do well abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would challenge them with earlier.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for why India's performances at home have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a multi-faceted challenge, not just a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have highlighted various flaws post India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the squad.
Members like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - fell short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not well enough to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also criticized, spurred on by distraught fans and vocal past stars. Under focus of the scrutiny was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
