The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recent Test series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, the visiting team handed India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. This represented South Africa's first series win in India in 25 years and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm built over the past six months has almost disappeared and the careers of several players - including head mentor the coach - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The emerging side's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a successful handover after the close together retirements of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over West Indies at the start of the domestic season enhanced that perception, before the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.
India were somewhat unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill was injured very early in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par showing in both Tests against South Africa.
Some big reputations were damaged, and multiple individuals eyeing extended tenures in Tests were exposed as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the format.
Worrying Trend
It was the second clean sweep at home endured by India in just a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 win which effectively cost India a place in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to the Proteas risks harming the team's chances of reaching the decider of this cycle as well.
From number three in the WTC table prior to the contest, India have dropped to number five. Although nine additional matches are remaining, a majority are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even against the mighty Aussies. But the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, the reason the team have struggled so much in Tests at home lately is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that helped spin and benefited their players, India brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an anomaly.
Now, the team look to be easy pickings on home turf.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were beaten at their own game. The pitches they developed to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that India is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been altered from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to do well abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has taken away the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would challenge them with before.
While there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for why the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players diagnose a complicated issue, not only a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies post India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the side.
Players such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - were found wanting in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Management Questions
The review didn't spare the entire setup - selectors and backroom team were also criticized, driven by disappointed supporters and critical former players. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
