India's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa inflicted upon India a record defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum gained during the past six months has almost disappeared and the futures of a number of cricketers - as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Disappears
The new-look squad's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a successful handover post the almost concurrent departures of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the home season strengthened that view, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
The home side were a bit unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the opening Test and took no further part in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing display in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players took a hit, and multiple individuals hoping for lengthy Test careers were shown as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This was the second whitewash on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a remarkable 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a berth in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to South Africa could damage India's chances of reaching the showpiece of this cycle also.
After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, India have been relegated to number five. Even though nine additional matches are remaining, half of these are against Australia. Typically, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even against the powerful Australians. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
India's vulnerability in the longer format has been badly exposed. However, why India have fared so badly in Test matches at home lately is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an aberration.
Today, the team appear to be easy pickings at home.
Versus the Kiwis in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they developed to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as the opposition used them more effectively, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to do well in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would pose to them before.
While there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it does not clarify why the side's results at home have experienced such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complicated issue, not limited to one or two factors.
Critics and players have identified various flaws after India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, frequent changes of the playing XI, and favoring limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the showings of the side.
Players such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - were found wanting in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem also included not only the cricketers - selectors and backroom team were also criticized, spurred on by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. At the centre of the criticism was team coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
