India's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, South Africa inflicted upon India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It was South Africa's initial series triumph in India in 25 years and the host nation's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm built over the past six months has largely dissipated and the careers of a number of cricketers - including head mentor Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Disappears
The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a new captain, indicated a seamless changeover following the near-simultaneous retirements of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the beginning of the home season strengthened that view, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a fell blow.
The home side were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the initial match and took no further part in the contest. But that fails to account for the side of the well below standard performance in both Tests against South Africa.
Some big reputations took a hit, and several players eyeing long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second clean sweep on home soil experienced by India in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had pulled off a surprising 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage the team's chances of making the decider of this cycle as well.
From number three in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have dropped to fifth place. Even though nine additional matches are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Typically, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even when facing the strong Australian side. But the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
India's weakness in the longer format has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, the reason India have struggled so much in Test matches at home lately is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that helped spin and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an aberration.
Now, India seem vulnerable at home.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they developed to suit their strengths failed miserably, as the opposition exploited them better, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
What Happened?
Some suggest that India is failing at home because local wickets have been modified from turners to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to succeed overseas.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars take part, has reduced the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would pose to them before.
While there is some truth in each argument, it fails to account for why the team's showings on home soil have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
Most former players diagnose a complicated issue, not only one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have identified several failings after India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over the longer format.
This was obvious in the showings of the side.
Members such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - fell short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - team selectors and backroom team were also criticized, driven by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. At the centre of the examination was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
