India's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. This represented South Africa's first series win in India in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the careers of multiple squad members - along with team coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The new-look squad's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a new captain, pointed to a successful handover post the almost concurrent departures of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the start of the home campaign enhanced that perception, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill suffered an injury quickly in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the highly disappointing performance in both Tests against the opposition.
Some big reputations suffered, and several players aspiring to long red-ball careers were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second clean sweep at home experienced by India in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 win which effectively cost India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas could damage India's hopes of qualifying for the showpiece of this cycle as well.
After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to fifth place. Even though nine additional matches are remaining, a majority are against Australia. Typically, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even when facing the powerful Australians. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's vulnerability in Test cricket has been badly exposed. However, the reason India have fared so badly in Tests at home recently is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an aberration.
Currently, the team seem vulnerable in their own backyard.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they curated to help their style backfired spectacularly, as the opposition used them more effectively, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling at home because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to succeed abroad.
Some point out that the IPL, in which several international stars participate, has taken away the mystery and hardship home wickets would challenge them with in the past.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it fails to account for the reason the side's results on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars identify a multi-faceted challenge, not just a few causes.
Experts and participants have identified various flaws post the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, poor choices, arrogance, frequent changes of the playing XI, and favoring limited-overs over the longer format.
This was clear in the displays of the team.
Players like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - were found wanting in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but inadequately to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem also included not only the cricketers - selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, fuelled by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the criticism was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
