India's shocking 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm gained during the last several months has all but vanished and the prospects of a number of cricketers - as well as head mentor the coach - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The young team's strong showing in the UK this season, under a different skipper, suggested a successful handover after the almost concurrent retirements of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the start of the home season boosted that belief, before the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill was injured very early in the opening Test and did not participate again in the series. But that fails to account for the side of the well below standard performance in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players took a hit, and a few members eyeing lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not up to the mark - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second clean sweep in home conditions suffered by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had pulled off a surprising 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a place in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to South Africa threatens to derail the team's prospects of making the final of this edition too.
From number three in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have dropped to number five. Though nine additional matches are remaining, a majority are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even against the mighty Aussies. However the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason the team have fared so badly in Tests at home lately is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that assisted spinners and aided their squad, the hosts brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an aberration.
Now, the team seem vulnerable at home.
Against New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they prepared to favor their game went wrong completely, as rivals used them more effectively, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that India is struggling in home conditions because local wickets have been modified from turners to quick wickets to prepare players to succeed overseas.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players play, has reduced the mystery and hardship home wickets would challenge them with earlier.
Even though there is some truth in each argument, it does not clarify the reason the team's showings on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars identify a complicated issue, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have identified multiple deficiencies following India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the side.
Players like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - came up short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The analysis also included the entire setup - selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, spurred on by upset followers and vocal past stars. At the centre of the criticism was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
