India's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, South Africa inflicted upon India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the futures of a number of cricketers - as well as team coach the coach - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The emerging side's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a successful handover following the close together retirements of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the domestic season enhanced that perception, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a fell blow.
India were a bit unlucky that leader Gill was injured quickly in the opening Test and did not participate again in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the well below standard showing in both Tests against South Africa.
Some big reputations suffered, and multiple individuals hoping for long red-ball careers were shown as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Concerning History
It was the second clean sweep at home experienced by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 triumph which practically cost the hosts a place in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming India's prospects of qualifying for the decider of this cycle too.
After being third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to fifth place. Though nine further games are yet to be played, five of these are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even against the mighty Aussies. However the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
India's weakness in the longer format has been clearly revealed. However, why India have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil lately is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that assisted spinners and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an anomaly.
Currently, the team look to be beatable in their own backyard.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they curated to help their style backfired spectacularly, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that India is struggling at home because domestic pitches have been modified from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to perform better in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars play, has taken away the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would pose to them before.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it does not clarify the reason the side's results on home soil have experienced such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have identified multiple deficiencies post the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.
This was clear in the showings of the side.
Players like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - fell short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The review targeted the entire setup - the selection panel and backroom team were also under fire, driven by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the scrutiny was head coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
