India's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, the visiting team gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. This represented South Africa's first series win in India in 25 years and India's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum established in the last several months has all but vanished and the careers of several players - including head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Disappears
The young team's strong showing in England this summer, under a new captain, indicated a seamless changeover following the close together departures of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the beginning of the home campaign enhanced that perception, until the South Africans arrived to deliver a fell blow.
India were somewhat unlucky that captain Shubman Gill got injured very early in the opening Test and was ruled out in the series. But that does not excuse or justify the team of the terribly sub-par showing in each match against South Africa.
Some big reputations were damaged, and multiple individuals aspiring to long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second clean sweep in home conditions suffered by the Indian team in just more than a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had secured a remarkable 3-0 victory which effectively cost the hosts a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to the Proteas could damage India's chances of making the final of this cycle too.
After being third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, India have fallen to number five. Even though nine additional matches are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Usually, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - including against the powerful Australians. But the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas leave little scope for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. However, why India have struggled so much in Tests on home soil lately is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were considered unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an aberration.
Today, the team look to be beatable in their own backyard.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they prepared to favor their game failed miserably, as the opposition exploited them better, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that India is failing at home because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to do well overseas.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has taken away the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would pose to them in the past.
Although there is validity in each argument, it fails to account for why the team's showings at home have seen such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not just one or two factors.
Experts and participants have highlighted various flaws after the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the team lineup, and prioritising limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the squad.
Players such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - came up short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - the selection panel and coaching staff were also under fire, driven by distraught fans and critical former players. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was mentor Gambhir.
At his post-series press
