The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, South Africa inflicted upon India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It was South Africa's first series win in India in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the futures of multiple squad members - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Disappears
The emerging side's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a seamless changeover following the almost concurrent exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the start of the domestic season strengthened that view, until the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that skipper Gill got injured quickly in the initial match and was ruled out in the series. But that fails to account for the side of the well below standard display in each match against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and multiple individuals aspiring to long red-ball careers were shown as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This was the second clean sweep in home conditions endured by India in just a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had secured a remarkable 3-0 win which essentially denied India a spot in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming the team's prospects of making the final of this cycle too.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, India have dropped to number five. Though nine more Tests are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even when facing the strong Australian side. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, the reason the team have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil recently is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, India were seen as invincible in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that helped spin and benefited their players, India brooked no opposition. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against England, was considered an exception.
Currently, India seem beatable on home turf.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The pitches they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as the opposition used them more effectively, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from turners to quick wickets to train the squad to do well abroad.
A few mention that the IPL, in which several international stars take part, has taken away the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would pose to them earlier.
While there is validity in each argument, it still does not explain why the side's results on home soil have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not only a few causes.
Experts and participants have identified various flaws after India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was clear in the performances of the squad.
Members like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - were found wanting in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Management Questions
The review didn't spare not only the cricketers - selectors and backroom team were also under fire, spurred on by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the criticism was mentor Gambhir.
During his post-series press
