The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recent Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, South Africa gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It was the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's second home series loss in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum built over the last several months has almost disappeared and the careers of several players - along with head mentor the coach - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, indicated a seamless changeover following the near-simultaneous retirements of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over the Windies at the commencement of the domestic season boosted that belief, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that leader Gill was injured very early in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. But that does not excuse or justify the team of the well below standard performance in each match against South Africa.
Several established players suffered, and several players hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second clean sweep on home soil endured by India in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 win which essentially denied India a place in the WTC final.
The latest loss to South Africa could damage India's prospects of making the decider of this edition also.
After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to number five. Although nine further games are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Usually, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even against the powerful Australians. However the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been badly exposed. That said, why the team have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil recently is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, India were considered impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that helped spin and benefited their players, India faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against England, was considered an anomaly.
Today, India appear to be beatable in their own backyard.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling at home because home surfaces have been changed from spinning tracks to quick wickets to train the squad to perform better in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would challenge them with earlier.
Even though there is validity in both analyses, it fails to account for why the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players diagnose a complicated issue, not just a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to several failings post the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the team lineup, and favoring white-ball over the longer format.
This was obvious in the showings of the side.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - fell short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not well enough to claim wins.
Management Questions
The analysis also included the entire setup - selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, spurred on by upset followers and vocal past stars. Under focus of the criticism was team coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
