India's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, South Africa gave India a record defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. It marked South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in 25 years and the host nation's second home series loss in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm gained during the past six months has almost disappeared and the prospects of several players - along with head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's strong showing in England this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a successful handover post the almost concurrent exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the beginning of the home season enhanced that perception, until the South Africans came and inflicted a fell blow.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill was injured early on in the initial match and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that does not excuse or justify the side of the highly disappointing showing in both Tests against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and several players aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second whitewash at home experienced by India in just more than a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 win which practically cost India a place in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to South Africa risks harming the team's chances of reaching the final of this season as well.
From number three in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to fifth place. Though nine further games are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even against the powerful Australians. But the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
India's weakness in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason the team have struggled so much in Test matches at home lately is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, India were seen as impregnable in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that helped spin and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an anomaly.
Today, the team look to be beatable on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they prepared to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the home team's players when it mattered most.
What Happened?
Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to succeed abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has taken away the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would challenge them with in the past.
Although there is some truth in these views, it does not clarify why the team's showings on home soil have experienced such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to multiple deficiencies post India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the playing XI, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was clear in the showings of the squad.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - fell short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not well enough to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - the selection panel and coaching staff were also criticized, driven by disappointed supporters and critical former players. At the centre of the examination was head coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
