The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, South Africa handed India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It marked South Africa's maiden series victory in India in 25 years and the host nation's second home series loss in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum gained during the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the careers of several players - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Disappears
The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a successful handover following the almost concurrent exits of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the start of the home season boosted that belief, until the South Africans came and inflicted a fell blow.
India were somewhat unlucky that leader Shubman Gill got injured very early in the initial match and did not participate again in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing display in both Tests against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and a few members aspiring to lengthy Test careers were shown as not up to the mark - technically or mentally - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second series sweep on home soil suffered by India in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 win which effectively cost India a berth in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to South Africa risks harming the team's chances of reaching the showpiece of this season too.
After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to number five. Though nine further games are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even when facing the mighty Aussies. But the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
India's frailty in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, why India have fared so badly in Tests at home in recent times is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an exception.
Now, India look to be easy pickings in their own backyard.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the home team's players when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is struggling in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from spinning tracks to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to perform better in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has reduced the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would pose to them before.
Although there is some truth in both analyses, it does not clarify why India's performances on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars point to a complicated issue, not limited to one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to various flaws post India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the playing XI, and favoring white-ball over the longer format.
This was obvious in the showings of the team.
Cricketers such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - came up short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their ability and standing - but not well enough to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The review targeted the entire setup - selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, spurred on by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
