India's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa gave India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It was South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and the host nation's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has all but vanished and the prospects of a number of cricketers - along with team coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The young team's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a new captain, pointed to a seamless changeover post the almost concurrent departures of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the start of the home season enhanced that perception, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
India were somewhat unlucky that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the opening Test and took no further part in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the side of the highly disappointing showing in the two games against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and a few members hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second whitewash at home experienced by India in just a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a surprising 3-0 triumph which practically cost the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa risks harming the team's chances of qualifying for the showpiece of this cycle too.
After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to number five. Even though nine more Tests are still to come, a majority are against Australia. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even when facing the mighty Aussies. However the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, why India have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil in recent times is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that assisted spinners and benefited their players, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an exception.
Currently, India look to be vulnerable at home.
Against New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they prepared to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as rivals exploited them better, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to perform better overseas.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has removed the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would challenge them with earlier.
Although there is validity in these views, it fails to account for the reason the team's showings on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted several failings following the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, frequent changes of the team lineup, and emphasizing limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the squad.
Members such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - came up short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem also included not only the cricketers - selectors and backroom team were also questioned, driven by distraught fans and vocal past stars. At the centre of the examination was team coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
