India's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's maiden series victory in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm gained during the last several months has almost disappeared and the prospects of a number of cricketers - along with team coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The young team's strong showing in England this season, under a new captain, suggested a seamless changeover after the almost concurrent departures of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the beginning of the domestic season boosted that belief, until the Proteas came and inflicted a fell blow.
The home side were a bit unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill was injured quickly in the initial match and took no further part in the contest. But that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par display in both Tests against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and several players aspiring to lengthy Test careers were shown as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Concerning History
This represented the second clean sweep at home experienced by India in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had pulled off a staggering 3-0 triumph which essentially denied the hosts a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to the Proteas could damage India's hopes of reaching the showpiece of this cycle as well.
After being third in the WTC table prior to the contest, the side have fallen to fifth place. Although nine more Tests are remaining, five of these are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even against the powerful Australians. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, why the team have fared so badly in Tests at home lately is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were regarded as invincible in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an anomaly.
Today, the team seem beatable at home.
Against the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they developed to help their style backfired spectacularly, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the home team's players when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that India is failing 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 several international stars take part, has taken away the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would pose to them before.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it still does not explain the reason India's performances at home have seen such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars point to a complicated issue, not just a few causes.
Experts and participants have identified multiple deficiencies following India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the team lineup, and prioritising white-ball over the longer format.
This was evident in the performances of the team.
Cricketers such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - fell short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Management Questions
The analysis didn't spare the entire setup - selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, spurred on by distraught fans and critical former players. At the centre of the criticism was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
