India's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, South Africa inflicted upon India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. This represented South Africa's maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's second defeat at home in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the prospects of several players - along with head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Disappears
The emerging side's impressive performance in England this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a seamless changeover after the near-simultaneous retirements of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over the Windies at the start of the home season enhanced that perception, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Gill was injured early on in the first Test and was ruled out in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing showing in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players suffered, and several players aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second whitewash in home conditions experienced by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 win which effectively cost the hosts a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's chances of reaching the showpiece of this edition as well.
From number three in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, India have been relegated to fifth place. Though nine further games are remaining, a majority are against the Aussies. Typically, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - including against the powerful Australians. But the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
India's weakness in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, why the team have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil lately is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were considered impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an anomaly.
Today, the team appear to be easy pickings at home.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they developed to favor their game failed miserably, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Some suggest that India is struggling in home conditions because local wickets have been altered from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to succeed in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would pose to them in the past.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it does not clarify the reason the team's showings at home have seen such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complicated issue, not just a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to multiple deficiencies following the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the side.
Cricketers like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - fell short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not well enough to secure victories.
Management Questions
The analysis targeted the entire setup - team selectors and backroom team were also questioned, spurred on by disappointed supporters and critical former players. Under focus of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
