India's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, South Africa gave India a record Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. It marked South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and the host nation's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the careers of multiple squad members - as well as head coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The young team's commendable display in England this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a seamless changeover after the near-simultaneous exits of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the home season boosted that belief, until the Proteas arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that leader Gill was injured early on in the first Test and took no further part in the series. Yet that fails to account for the team of the terribly sub-par display in the two games against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and multiple individuals hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the format.
Concerning History
This represented the second clean sweep on home soil experienced by India in just more than a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had secured a remarkable 3-0 triumph which effectively cost India a spot in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage India's chances of making the decider of this edition as well.
From number three in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have fallen to number five. Though nine additional matches are yet to be played, five of these are against the Aussies. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's vulnerability in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, why the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home lately is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Now, the team seem easy pickings in their own backyard.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they curated to favor their game went wrong completely, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the home team's players when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that the Indian team is floundering at home because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to fast tracks to prepare players to do well overseas.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players take part, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would present to them in the past.
While there is some truth in both analyses, it still does not explain why the team's showings on home soil have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to one or two factors.
Critics and players have identified various flaws following India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and favoring limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the team.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their nonchalance, 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 nonchalant approach.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - team selectors and backroom team were also criticized, driven by distraught fans and critical former players. In the spotlight of the criticism was team coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
