India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, South Africa inflicted upon India a record defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It was South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in 25 years and the host nation's second home series loss 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 careers of several players - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, indicated a seamless changeover after the near-simultaneous retirements of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season enhanced that perception, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill was injured early on in the opening Test and did not participate again in the series. But that fails to account for the team of the highly disappointing display in each match against the opposition.
Some big reputations suffered, and several players hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This represented the second whitewash on home soil suffered by India in just more than a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had secured a remarkable 3-0 triumph which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to South Africa risks harming India's prospects of making the final of this cycle too.
After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, India have been relegated to number five. Though nine additional matches are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even against the strong Australian side. However the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, why India have struggled so much in Tests at home recently is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, India were considered invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Now, the team seem easy pickings at home.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The tracks they developed to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is failing at home because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to fast tracks to prepare players to perform better abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has removed the surprise and difficulty home wickets would pose to them in the past.
While there is some truth in these views, it fails to account for why the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
Most former players diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have identified several failings post the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the performances of the squad.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - were found wanting in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their ability and standing - but inadequately to win matches.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - the selection panel and backroom team were also questioned, fuelled by distraught fans and vocal past stars. At the centre of the criticism was team coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
