India's surprising 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, South Africa handed India a record Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. It was the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory established in the last several months has largely dissipated and the futures of several players - including head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The young team's commendable display in England this summer, under a fresh leadership, indicated a seamless changeover following the near-simultaneous exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the start of the domestic season strengthened that view, until the South Africans came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill was injured early on in the opening Test and was ruled out in the series. However, that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par performance in both Tests against the opposition.
Several established players were damaged, and several players eyeing extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second clean sweep at home endured by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a remarkable 3-0 win which essentially denied India a berth in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to South Africa could damage India's prospects of reaching the decider of this cycle too.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to fifth place. Even though nine additional matches are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - including against the powerful Australians. However the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
India's weakness in the longer format has been badly exposed. However, why the team have fared so badly in Tests at home lately is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as invincible in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an anomaly.
Now, India look to be beatable in their own backyard.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The tracks they prepared to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as rivals exploited them better, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to do well abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would present to them earlier.
Even though there is some truth in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason India's performances at home have experienced such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to multiple deficiencies after India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, regular alterations of the playing XI, and prioritising 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 Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - came up short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - the selection panel and backroom team were also criticized, fuelled by distraught fans and critical former players. In the spotlight of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
