India's shocking 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, the visiting team gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. This represented South Africa's maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm established in the past six months has almost disappeared and the futures of several players - including head mentor the coach - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Disappears
The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, indicated a seamless changeover post the close together exits of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over the Windies at the start of the home season enhanced that perception, till the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that leader Gill got injured early on in the initial match and was ruled out in the series. Yet that fails to account for the team of the well below standard performance in each match against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and a few members aspiring to lengthy Test careers were shown as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second clean sweep at home experienced by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had secured a surprising 3-0 victory which practically cost the hosts a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa threatens to derail the team's prospects of making the showpiece of this edition also.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to number five. Even though nine further games are remaining, a majority are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even when facing the mighty Aussies. However the failures against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's weakness in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. However, the reason India have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil lately is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an aberration.
Today, the team appear to be beatable in their own backyard.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they curated to suit their strengths failed miserably, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that India is struggling at home because local wickets have been modified from turners to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to do well overseas.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has taken away the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would present to them before.
While there is validity in both analyses, it fails to account for why the side's results on home soil have experienced such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complicated issue, not limited to one or two factors.
Experts and participants have identified several failings following India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, poor choices, arrogance, regular alterations of the playing XI, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.
This was clear in the displays of the side.
Members such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - came up short in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their ability and standing - but not well enough to secure victories.
Management Questions
The post-mortem didn't spare the entire setup - selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, fuelled by distraught fans and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the examination was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
