India's shocking 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recently concluded Test series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, South Africa handed India a record Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. This represented South Africa's maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has all but vanished and the careers of a number of cricketers - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The emerging side's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, indicated a seamless changeover following the near-simultaneous departures of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over West Indies at the start of the home season boosted that belief, till the Proteas turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the opening Test and took no further part in the contest. But that neither explains nor absolves the team of the well below standard performance in each match against South Africa.
Several established players suffered, and a few members aspiring to long red-ball careers were shown as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
This was the second clean sweep at home experienced by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had pulled off a staggering 3-0 victory which effectively cost the hosts a berth in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage the team's chances of qualifying for the showpiece of this season too.
From number three in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have dropped to number five. Even though nine additional matches are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even against the strong Australian side. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's weakness in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, the reason the team have fared so badly in Tests on home soil recently is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that assisted spinners and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an anomaly.
Now, India seem easy pickings on home turf.
Against New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they curated to favor their game failed miserably, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that India is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to succeed in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has removed the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would present to them earlier.
Although there is some truth in these views, it does not clarify the reason the team's showings at home have seen such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
Most former players diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not just a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have pointed to multiple deficiencies following the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the playing XI, and prioritising white-ball over the longer format.
This was evident in the performances of the team.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - fell short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not well enough to secure victories.
Coaching Scrutiny
The analysis also included the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also criticized, fuelled by disappointed supporters and critical former players. At the centre of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
