India's surprising 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa gave India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It was South Africa's initial series triumph in India in 25 years and India's second home series loss in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum gained during the last several months has all but vanished and the futures of several players - including head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The emerging side's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a successful handover following the almost concurrent exits of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over the Windies at the start of the domestic season strengthened that view, until the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Gill was injured very early in the opening Test and was ruled out in the contest. But that does not excuse or justify the squad of the highly disappointing performance in each match against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and multiple individuals hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the format.
Concerning History
This was the second series sweep at home suffered by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a surprising 3-0 win which effectively cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa could damage the team's chances of reaching the showpiece of this edition too.
After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, India have fallen to the fifth spot. Though nine more Tests are remaining, half of these are against Australia. Usually, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - including against the mighty Aussies. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
India's weakness in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. However, why the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home recently is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were considered invincible in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, the hosts brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an anomaly.
Today, India appear to be vulnerable on home turf.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they curated to favor their game went wrong completely, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the home team's players when it mattered most.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that India is struggling at home because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to train the squad to perform better overseas.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which many overseas players take part, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would present to them in the past.
Although there is validity in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason India's performances on home soil have experienced such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars point to a multi-faceted challenge, not only a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have identified various flaws following the team's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was clear in the showings of the squad.
Players such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - came up short in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but inadequately to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, driven by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the criticism was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
