India's surprising 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recent Test series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, South Africa gave India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in 25 years and the host nation's second defeat at home in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum gained during the last several months has all but vanished and the prospects of a number of cricketers - as well as head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a seamless changeover post the close together departures of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the home season enhanced that perception, before the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Shubman Gill got injured very early in the first Test and was ruled out in the contest. But that does not excuse or justify the team of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against the opposition.
Several established players took a hit, and several players eyeing lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This was the second clean sweep on home soil suffered by India in just a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had secured a remarkable 3-0 victory which effectively cost the hosts a spot in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage the team's prospects of reaching the showpiece of this cycle as well.
From number three in the Test championship standings before the series, India have been relegated to fifth place. Though nine additional matches are remaining, half of these are against Australia. Usually, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even when facing the powerful Australians. Yet the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
India's frailty in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, the reason the team have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil in recent times is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, India were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an exception.
Today, India appear to be beatable at home.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The tracks they curated to help their style backfired spectacularly, as opponents exploited them better, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from spinning tracks to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to perform better overseas.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which many overseas players play, has taken away the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would present to them earlier.
Even though there is some truth in both analyses, it still does not explain why the team's showings on home soil have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to one or two factors.
Critics and players have pointed to various flaws following India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the team lineup, and favoring limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was evident in the displays of the side.
Players like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - were found wanting in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Management Questions
The review also included not only the cricketers - team selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, fuelled by distraught fans and critical former players. In the spotlight of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
