The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished 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 marked the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum gained during the previous half-year has all but vanished and the futures of a number of cricketers - along with head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Disappears
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a new captain, pointed to a successful handover after the almost concurrent departures of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the domestic season enhanced that perception, until the Proteas arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill got injured very early in the initial match and did not participate again in the contest. But that fails to account for the squad of the highly disappointing showing in both Tests against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and several players aspiring to long red-ball careers were shown as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
This represented the second whitewash in home conditions suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had secured a remarkable 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's chances of making the final of this cycle also.
From number three in the WTC table before the series, India have been relegated to number five. Although nine further games are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even when facing the powerful Australians. However the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's vulnerability in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. However, the reason India have performed so poorly in Tests at home in recent times is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an aberration.
Currently, the team appear to be beatable at home.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to help their style failed miserably, as the opposition exploited them better, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that India is failing in home conditions because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to succeed in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would challenge them with in the past.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it does not clarify why India's performances on home soil have seen such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complicated issue, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have highlighted several failings following India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, regular alterations of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the squad.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - came up short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem didn't spare not only the cricketers - the selection panel and support staff were also under fire, fuelled by distraught fans and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
