India's shocking 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's first series win in India in 25 years and India's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm built over the previous half-year has all but vanished and the careers of multiple squad members - as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The young team's commendable display in England this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a smooth transition post the near-simultaneous exits of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the domestic season boosted that belief, until the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that leader Gill was injured quickly in the opening Test and was ruled out in the series. Yet that does not excuse or justify the side of the well below standard performance in both Tests against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and a few members aspiring to long red-ball careers were revealed to be not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second series sweep at home suffered by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had pulled off a staggering 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming India's chances of qualifying for the final of this edition also.
After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Though nine additional matches are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - including against the strong Australian side. But the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why India have struggled so much in Test matches at home lately is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an exception.
Now, India seem vulnerable at home.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The pitches they curated to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as the opposition used them more effectively, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is struggling at home because domestic pitches have been modified from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to do well abroad.
Some point out that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would present to them in the past.
Even though there is validity in each argument, it fails to account for why India's performances at home have seen such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have highlighted multiple deficiencies post India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, regular alterations of the playing XI, and favoring limited-overs over the longer format.
This was clear in the showings of the side.
Members like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - came up short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not well enough to claim wins.
Management Questions
The review also included the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, driven by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the examination was head coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
