The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, the visiting team handed India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. This represented South Africa's maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and India's second home series loss in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum established in the past six months has largely dissipated and the prospects of multiple squad members - including team coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The young team's strong showing in the UK this season, under a new captain, pointed to a smooth transition after the near-simultaneous exits of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the home season boosted that belief, before the South Africans came and inflicted a fell blow.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that skipper Gill suffered an injury very early in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. However, that fails to account for the team of the well below standard performance in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and several players eyeing long red-ball careers were exposed as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the format.
Worrying Trend
This was the second whitewash in home conditions endured by India in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had pulled off a surprising 3-0 win which practically cost India a spot in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage the team's hopes of qualifying for the decider of this cycle too.
Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to fifth place. Although nine additional matches are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even against the strong Australian side. But the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
India's vulnerability in Test cricket has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, why the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home lately is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, India were considered invincible in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Now, India seem easy pickings at home.
Versus New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they developed to suit their strengths failed miserably, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is struggling at home because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to perform better abroad.
A few mention that the IPL, in which several international stars take part, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would present to them in the past.
While there is validity in each argument, it fails to account for why the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a few causes.
Experts and participants have highlighted various flaws following India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the performances of the side.
Players like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - fell short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Management Questions
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - the selection panel and support staff were also questioned, spurred on by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. At the centre of the examination was mentor Gambhir.
At his post-series press
