The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recent Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, South Africa gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It marked South Africa's initial series triumph in India in two and a half decades and India's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm established in the past six months has largely dissipated and the prospects of multiple squad members - as well as head mentor the coach - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a seamless changeover following the near-simultaneous exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign strengthened that view, until the South Africans arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
India were somewhat unlucky that captain Gill suffered an injury very early in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. However, that does not excuse or justify the squad of the well below standard showing in both Tests against the opposition.
Some big reputations took a hit, and several players aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were shown as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the format.
Concerning History
This represented the second series sweep on home soil experienced by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a berth in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's hopes of qualifying for the final of this edition too.
From number three in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, India have dropped to the fifth spot. Although nine further games are still to come, a majority are against Australia. Usually, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even when facing the mighty Aussies. Yet the failures against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil lately is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, India were seen as impregnable in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an anomaly.
Today, the team appear to be vulnerable on home turf.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they prepared to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling at home because local wickets have been modified from turners to quick wickets to prepare players to do well abroad.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players take part, has taken away the surprise and difficulty home wickets would pose to them in the past.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it still does not explain the reason the side's results at home have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not just one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to various flaws following the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and favoring limited-overs over the longer format.
This was evident in the showings of the squad.
Players such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - fell short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Management Questions
The review didn't spare the entire setup - selectors and backroom team were also under fire, driven by distraught fans and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
