India's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, South Africa gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It marked South Africa's maiden series victory in India in a quarter-century and India's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory established in the last several months has almost disappeared and the futures of multiple squad members - along with head mentor the coach - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Disappears
The emerging side's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a new captain, suggested a seamless changeover following the close together departures of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over the Windies at the commencement of the home campaign enhanced that perception, before the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill got injured very early in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. But that neither explains nor absolves the side of the well below standard performance in both Tests against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and a few members eyeing lengthy Test careers were exposed as not up to the mark - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
This represented the second series sweep in home conditions suffered by India in just a year. Last year, underestimated the Kiwis had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 win which practically cost the hosts a berth in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming India's hopes of qualifying for the final of this edition as well.
From number three in the WTC rankings before the series, India have fallen to number five. Although nine more Tests are yet to be played, five of these are against the Aussies. Typically, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even against the mighty Aussies. However the failures against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
India's weakness in the longer format has been badly exposed. That said, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil in recent times is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an aberration.
Currently, India look to be beatable in their own backyard.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they curated to help their style backfired spectacularly, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that India is failing at home because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to succeed abroad.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars play, has removed the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would challenge them with earlier.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it still does not explain the reason India's performances at home have experienced such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars point to a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have highlighted multiple deficiencies following the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, arrogance, frequent changes of the team lineup, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the side.
Players like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - fell short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - the selection panel and coaching staff were also questioned, spurred on by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the examination was mentor Gambhir.
At his post-series press
