The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. This represented South Africa's maiden series victory in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory established in the last several months has largely dissipated and the prospects of several players - including head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Disappears
The new-look squad's strong showing in England this summer, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a seamless changeover following the close together retirements of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the beginning of the home campaign boosted that belief, before the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that skipper Shubman Gill was injured quickly in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. But that does not excuse or justify the squad of the well below standard display in each match against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and several players aspiring to lengthy Test careers were exposed as not up to the mark - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second whitewash in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 triumph which practically cost the hosts a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming the team's prospects of qualifying for the decider of this edition also.
After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Although nine more Tests are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a major plus - even against the powerful Australians. But the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. That said, why India have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil recently is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that assisted spinners and benefited their players, India brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, such as in 2012-13 against England, was considered an exception.
Today, India seem beatable on home turf.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they developed to favor their game failed miserably, as rivals used them more effectively, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from turners to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to perform better abroad.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has reduced the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would challenge them with in the past.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings on home soil have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players point to a complicated issue, not only a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have identified multiple deficiencies after India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, overconfidence, frequent changes of the team lineup, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the side.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - fell short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but inadequately to claim wins.
Management Questions
The post-mortem didn't spare the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also criticized, fuelled by upset followers and critical former players. Under focus of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
