The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recent Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, the visiting team inflicted upon India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. This represented the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in 25 years and the host nation's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum built over the last several months has all but vanished and the prospects of multiple squad members - along with head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Disappears
The young team's strong showing in the UK this season, under a different skipper, suggested a successful handover after the near-simultaneous retirements of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season boosted that belief, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that skipper Gill suffered an injury early on in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. However, that fails to account for the team of the highly disappointing performance in both Tests against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and multiple individuals aspiring to lengthy Test careers were shown as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
It was the second series sweep in home conditions endured by India in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 win which practically cost India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage India's chances of reaching the showpiece of this edition as well.
From number three in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have dropped to number five. Though nine more Tests are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even when facing the mighty Aussies. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's vulnerability in the longer format has been badly exposed. However, why the team have fared so badly in Tests at home recently is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were regarded as impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on pitches that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts brooked no opposition. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an anomaly.
Today, India seem easy pickings in their own backyard.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they developed to help their style backfired spectacularly, as the opposition used them more effectively, surpassing the home team's players when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that India is struggling at home because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to do well abroad.
Some point out that the IPL, in which several international stars play, has reduced the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would challenge them with in the past.
Even though there is validity in these views, it does not clarify why the side's results at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have identified various flaws after India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the showings of the team.
Cricketers like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - were found wanting in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Management Questions
The review also included just the players - the selection panel and coaching staff were also under fire, fuelled by distraught fans and vocal past stars. Under focus of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
