The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa handed India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It was South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum established in the last several months has largely dissipated and the prospects of a number of cricketers - including team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this season, under a different skipper, indicated a smooth transition post the almost concurrent retirements of stalwarts R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the start of the domestic season boosted that belief, till the Proteas arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the initial match and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the squad of the terribly sub-par performance in each match against South Africa.
Several established players suffered, and several players aspiring to long red-ball careers were shown as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
This represented the second whitewash in home conditions suffered by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a remarkable 3-0 victory which effectively cost the hosts a spot in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to South Africa risks harming India's prospects of qualifying for the final of this season too.
After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have dropped to number five. Even though nine further games are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even against the strong Australian side. But the failures against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
India's vulnerability in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. However, the reason India have struggled so much in Test matches at home in recent times is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on pitches that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, India brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an anomaly.
Currently, the team seem vulnerable at home.
Against New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as rivals exploited them better, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that India is struggling in home conditions because local wickets have been modified from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to do well abroad.
A few mention that the IPL, in which several international stars participate, has taken away the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would present to them before.
Even though there is validity in these views, it does not clarify why the team's showings on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars point to a complicated issue, not only a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have identified multiple deficiencies post India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.
This was obvious in the displays of the side.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - fell short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not well enough to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem also included not only the cricketers - the selection panel and backroom team were also under fire, fuelled by distraught fans and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
