India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to the Proteas 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, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's maiden series victory in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm established in the past six months has almost disappeared and the prospects of several players - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a seamless changeover following the close together retirements of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the home season boosted that belief, until the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill got injured quickly in the initial match and took no further part in the contest. However, that does not excuse or justify the team of the highly disappointing performance in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players took a hit, and a few members eyeing extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second clean sweep on home soil endured by India in just a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 triumph which practically cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas threatens to derail India's prospects of making the decider of this season also.
After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to the fifth spot. Although nine more Tests are yet to be played, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, playing at home would be a major plus - even against the strong Australian side. Yet the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
India's weakness in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why the team have fared so badly in Tests on home soil recently is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an aberration.
Now, the team look to be easy pickings in their own backyard.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The tracks they developed to help their style failed miserably, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that India is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to do well abroad.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has taken away the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would challenge them with earlier.
Although there is some truth in each argument, it does not clarify why India's performances at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not only a few causes.
Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies after India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the playing XI, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.
This was evident in the showings of the squad.
Cricketers like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - fell short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but inadequately to win matches.
Management Questions
The post-mortem didn't spare not only the cricketers - the selection panel and coaching staff were also questioned, spurred on by upset followers and critical former players. At the centre of the scrutiny was head coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
