India's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, the visiting team handed India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It marked the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's second defeat at home in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm established in the last several months has almost disappeared and the futures of multiple squad members - as well as team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a successful handover following the close together departures of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign enhanced that perception, until the South Africans came and inflicted a fell blow.
The home side were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill was injured early on in the initial match and took no further part in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the side of the terribly sub-par performance in each match against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and a few members eyeing lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second clean sweep in home conditions suffered by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had pulled off a staggering 3-0 victory which practically cost the hosts a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's chances of qualifying for the decider of this edition also.
After being third in the WTC table prior to the contest, India have fallen to the fifth spot. Although nine additional matches are still to come, a majority are against Australia. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even when facing the strong Australian side. However the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. However, the reason India have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil recently is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that assisted spinners and benefited their players, India brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Today, India appear to be easy pickings on home turf.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they developed to favor their game went wrong completely, as the opposition exploited them better, surpassing the home team's players when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that India is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to succeed overseas.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would pose to them earlier.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for the reason the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not only one or two factors.
Experts and participants have highlighted several failings post India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, poor choices, arrogance, frequent changes of the team lineup, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the side.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - came up short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not well enough to secure victories.
Management Questions
The analysis didn't spare just the players - selectors and backroom team were also criticized, driven by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. Under focus of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
