India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, the visiting team handed India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. This represented the Proteas' first series win in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory gained during the past six months has largely dissipated and the prospects of multiple squad members - along with head coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Disappears
The young team's impressive performance in England this season, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a successful handover post the close together departures of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign enhanced that perception, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that leader Shubman Gill got injured very early in the first Test and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that does not excuse or justify the squad of the highly disappointing display in each match against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and a few members aspiring to lengthy Test careers were shown as not up to the mark - technically or mentally - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second clean sweep in home conditions suffered by India in just more than a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 win which essentially denied India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage the team's chances of making the final of this cycle too.
From number three in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have been relegated to the fifth spot. Though nine additional matches are yet to be played, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - including against the strong Australian side. But the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
India's frailty in the longer format has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, why the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home lately is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an exception.
Today, the team look to be beatable on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they curated to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as rivals used them more effectively, surpassing the home team's players when it mattered most.
What Happened?
Some suggest that India is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to fast tracks to train the squad to succeed in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would pose to them before.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it does not clarify why the team's showings at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have identified several failings post the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the showings of the side.
Cricketers like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - fell short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not well enough to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem didn't spare the entire setup - the selection panel and coaching staff were also questioned, fuelled by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
