India's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, the visiting team handed India a record Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. This represented the Proteas' first series win in India in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory established in the past six months has largely dissipated and the prospects of several players - including team coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, suggested a seamless changeover after the almost concurrent exits of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season strengthened that view, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that skipper Gill was injured very early in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. But that fails to account for the squad of the well below standard performance in each match against the opposition.
Several established players took a hit, and a few members aspiring to long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
This represented the second series sweep on home soil endured by India in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 victory which practically cost India a berth in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's chances of qualifying for the decider of this edition too.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have fallen to fifth place. Though nine more Tests are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even when facing the strong Australian side. However the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
India's weakness in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, why India have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil lately is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as invincible in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on tracks that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against England, was considered an aberration.
Currently, India seem beatable at home.
Facing the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they developed to favor their game went wrong completely, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that India is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to fast tracks to train the squad to perform better abroad.
Some point out that the IPL, in which many overseas players play, has taken away the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would pose to them before.
Even though there is some truth in each argument, it still does not explain why India's performances on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a few causes.
Critics and players have identified multiple deficiencies after India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the team lineup, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the squad.
Members such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - fell short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also under fire, spurred on by distraught fans and critical former players. Under focus of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
