India's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa inflicted upon India a record Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. This represented South Africa's maiden series victory in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's second home series loss in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm gained during the last several months has largely dissipated and the careers of a number of cricketers - along with team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The new-look squad's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a new captain, pointed to a smooth transition post the near-simultaneous exits of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the start of the home season enhanced that perception, until the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill got injured early on in the first Test and did not participate again in the contest. But that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the well below standard display in the two games against South Africa.
Some big reputations suffered, and several players aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were exposed as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
This represented the second whitewash on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had secured a surprising 3-0 win which essentially denied India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to the Proteas could damage the team's chances of reaching the final of this season also.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, India have fallen to the fifth spot. Even though nine further games are remaining, five of these are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a huge advantage - including against the mighty Aussies. However the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's vulnerability in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, why the team have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil in recent times is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an exception.
Now, India look to be easy pickings at home.
Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, India were beaten at their own game. The pitches they prepared to help their style went wrong completely, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling at home because domestic pitches have been modified from spinning tracks to quick wickets to prepare players to perform better abroad.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would pose to them earlier.
Even though there is some truth in each argument, it fails to account for why the side's results on home soil have seen such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not just one or two factors.
Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies after India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, frequent changes of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over the longer format.
This was evident in the displays of the team.
Players like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - fell short in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem also included just the players - team selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, spurred on by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the examination was head coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
