India's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recent Test series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, the visiting team handed India a record defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. It was South Africa's first series win in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum established in the past six months has all but vanished and the careers of several players - along with team coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The emerging side's commendable display in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, suggested a seamless changeover post the almost concurrent departures of stalwarts R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the beginning of the home campaign strengthened that view, before the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.
India were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill was injured early on in the initial match and did not participate again in the contest. However, that does not excuse or justify the team of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and several players eyeing lengthy Test careers were exposed as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second whitewash on home soil experienced by India in just over a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had secured a remarkable 3-0 win which effectively cost the hosts a berth in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage India's chances of making the decider of this season too.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to fifth place. Although nine more Tests are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even against the mighty Aussies. But the failures against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
India's weakness in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. However, why the team have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil in recent times is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were regarded as impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an exception.
Now, the team look to be beatable in their own backyard.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they curated to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as opponents used them more effectively, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that the Indian team is failing at home because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to do well in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has taken away the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would challenge them with before.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for why the team's showings at home have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a few causes.
Critics and players have pointed to multiple deficiencies post the team's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, poor choices, arrogance, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and favoring white-ball over the longer format.
This was obvious in the performances of the team.
Members like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - came up short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not well enough to secure victories.
Management Questions
The post-mortem also included not only the cricketers - selectors and backroom team were also questioned, driven by distraught fans and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
