India's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, the visiting team gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and the host nation's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has largely dissipated and the careers of several players - including head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The young team's commendable display in England this season, under a different skipper, indicated a smooth transition following the almost concurrent exits of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over the Windies at the start of the home season boosted that belief, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Gill was injured early on in the opening Test and was ruled out in the series. However, that does not excuse or justify the team of the highly disappointing display in each match against the opposition.
Some big reputations were damaged, and several players hoping for long red-ball careers were shown as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
It was the second series sweep on home soil endured by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 win which practically cost the hosts a berth in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to South Africa threatens to derail the team's hopes of qualifying for the showpiece of this edition also.
Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Even though nine more Tests are remaining, a majority are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - including against the strong Australian side. But the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
India's vulnerability in the longer format has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason the team have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil lately is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an anomaly.
Currently, the team seem easy pickings on home turf.
Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as the opposition exploited them better, outplaying the home team's players when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been altered from turners to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to succeed in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the IPL, in which several international stars participate, has taken away the surprise and difficulty home wickets would present to them before.
While there is some truth in each argument, it does not clarify the reason the side's results on home soil have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
Most former players diagnose a complicated issue, not limited to one or two factors.
Critics and players have pointed to multiple deficiencies following India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, poor choices, overconfidence, frequent changes of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the performances of the side.
Cricketers such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - were found wanting in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The review didn't spare just the players - the selection panel and support staff were also under fire, driven by disappointed supporters and critical former players. Under focus of the examination was head coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
