India's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, the visiting team inflicted upon India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. This represented the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory gained during the past six months has all but vanished and the prospects of multiple squad members - along with head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The young team's commendable display in England this season, under a different skipper, indicated a seamless changeover post the near-simultaneous retirements of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the home campaign strengthened that view, until the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that leader Shubman Gill was injured quickly in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the well below standard performance in both Tests against South Africa.
Some big reputations suffered, and several players aspiring to lengthy Test careers were exposed as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second series sweep on home soil experienced by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had secured a surprising 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 India's chances of reaching the showpiece of this edition also.
After being third in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Though nine additional matches are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Usually, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
India's weakness in the longer format has been clearly revealed. That said, why India have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil lately is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an exception.
Now, the team appear to be vulnerable on home turf.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The tracks they developed to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals exploited them better, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is struggling at home because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to quick wickets to train the squad to perform better abroad.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players take part, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would present to them in the past.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the team's showings at home have experienced such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
Most former players point to a complicated issue, not just one or two factors.
Experts and participants have highlighted various flaws after the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the side.
Members such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - were found wanting in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem also included just the players - team selectors and backroom team were also criticized, driven by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the criticism was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
