India's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa handed India a record defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. This represented the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in 25 years and the host nation's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory built over the last several months has largely dissipated and the futures of a number of cricketers - including team coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The new-look squad's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a new captain, suggested a successful handover following the close together retirements of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the start of the home campaign enhanced that perception, till the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
India were a tad unfortunate that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury quickly in the initial match and was ruled out in the series. However, that does not excuse or justify the team of the terribly sub-par performance in each match against the opposition.
Several established players took a hit, and multiple individuals aspiring to long red-ball careers were exposed as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second clean sweep in home conditions endured by India in just over a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 victory which practically cost the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage India's hopes of qualifying for the final of this season too.
After being third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, India have fallen to number five. Though nine additional matches are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even against the strong Australian side. But the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why India have fared so badly in Tests at home lately is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were considered impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an aberration.
Currently, the team appear to be beatable on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they curated to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as opponents used them more effectively, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to quick wickets to prepare players to succeed overseas.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has taken away the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would challenge them with in the past.
While there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for the reason the team's showings on home soil have seen such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
Most former players identify a complicated issue, not limited to a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted multiple deficiencies after the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and favoring limited-overs over the longer format.
This was clear in the displays of the side.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - fell short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not well enough to win matches.
Management Questions
The post-mortem didn't spare not only the cricketers - the selection panel and support staff were also under fire, driven by distraught fans and critical former players. In the spotlight of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
