India's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa handed India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It was South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's another home failure in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm built over the last several months has largely dissipated and the futures of multiple squad members - including team coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The new-look squad's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a seamless changeover post the close together exits of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the home season enhanced that perception, before the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Gill got injured quickly in the first Test and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing showing in each match against the opposition.
Some big reputations suffered, and a few members aspiring to lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second series sweep on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a surprising 3-0 triumph which effectively cost India a berth in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to the Proteas risks harming the team's hopes of making the final of this season also.
After being third in the WTC table before the series, India have fallen to fifth place. Though nine more Tests are still to come, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even against the powerful Australians. However the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
India's vulnerability in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, why India have struggled so much in Test matches at home lately is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, the hosts brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an anomaly.
Currently, India seem beatable in their own backyard.
Against New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they curated to favor their game failed miserably, as the opposition used them more effectively, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that India is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to quick wickets to train the squad to perform better in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would challenge them with earlier.
While there is validity in these views, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings at home have seen such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have identified various flaws following the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the team lineup, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.
This was obvious in the showings of the side.
Players like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - came up short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but inadequately to win matches.
Management Questions
The analysis also included not only the cricketers - team selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, driven by distraught fans and critical former players. At the centre of the examination was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
