India's surprising 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recent Test series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, the visiting team handed India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and the host nation's second home series loss in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum built over the last several months has largely dissipated and the prospects of a number of cricketers - along with head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The emerging side's impressive performance in England this season, under a different skipper, suggested a smooth transition following the near-simultaneous exits of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over the Windies at the commencement of the domestic season strengthened that view, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury quickly in the initial match and was ruled out in the series. Yet that fails to account for the side of the terribly sub-par showing in both Tests against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and several players hoping for lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the format.
Concerning History
This represented the second clean sweep in home conditions suffered by India in just more than a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 triumph which essentially denied the hosts a spot in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming the team's hopes of making the showpiece of this season as well.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table before the series, India have been relegated to fifth place. Although nine additional matches are still to come, five of these are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a major plus - even against the powerful Australians. However the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
India's weakness in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, why the team have fared so badly in Test matches at home in recent times is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an anomaly.
Now, India seem vulnerable on home turf.
Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they curated to help their style backfired spectacularly, as the opposition used them more effectively, beating the home team's players when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because home surfaces have been altered from turners to quick wickets to prepare players to do well in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has reduced the surprise and difficulty home wickets would present to them earlier.
Even though there is some truth in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason the side's results at home have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to multiple deficiencies after the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the side.
Members such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - came up short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not well enough to win matches.
Management Questions
The review didn't spare not only the cricketers - selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, spurred on by distraught fans and critical former players. At the centre of the examination was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
