India's surprising 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, South Africa gave India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. This represented South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum established in the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the futures of several players - including team coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Disappears
The new-look squad's strong showing in England this season, under a fresh leadership, suggested a seamless changeover following the near-simultaneous retirements of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the domestic season enhanced that perception, before the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill got injured early on in the initial match and took no further part in the contest. However, that does not excuse or justify the team of the terribly sub-par performance in each match against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and several players aspiring to lengthy Test careers were exposed as not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second clean sweep on home soil experienced by India in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a remarkable 3-0 win which practically cost the hosts a place in the WTC final.
The latest loss to the Proteas could damage India's prospects of making the showpiece of this edition also.
After being third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Though nine additional matches are yet to be played, five of these are against the Aussies. Usually, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even against the strong Australian side. Yet the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
India's vulnerability in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason the team have fared so badly in Test matches at home lately is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Today, India seem easy pickings in their own backyard.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas currently, India were beaten at their own game. The tracks they developed to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as the opposition used them more effectively, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that India is failing at home because domestic pitches have been modified from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to perform better in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the IPL, in which many overseas players play, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would challenge them with before.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings at home have experienced such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars identify a complicated issue, not just a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have identified multiple deficiencies following the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, poor choices, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and favoring limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the team.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - came up short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not well enough to win matches.
Management Questions
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - the selection panel and coaching staff were also questioned, driven by distraught fans and vocal past stars. At the centre of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
