The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, the visiting team handed India a record defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum gained during the past six months has all but vanished and the careers of a number of cricketers - along with team coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The young team's strong showing in England this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a smooth transition after the almost concurrent exits of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign enhanced that perception, till the South Africans came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that skipper Gill got injured early on in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. But that does not excuse or justify the team of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against the opposition.
Some big reputations suffered, and several players aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were exposed as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
This was the second series sweep in home conditions experienced by India in just a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had secured a surprising 3-0 win which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage the team's hopes of reaching the decider of this season too.
After being third in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, the side have dropped to fifth place. Although nine further games are yet to be played, five of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - including against the mighty Aussies. Yet the failures against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
India's weakness in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. However, why the team have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil recently is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that helped spin and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an anomaly.
Now, India seem beatable at home.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they prepared to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as opponents used them more effectively, outplaying the home team's players when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is struggling at home because local wickets have been changed from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to do well overseas.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players play, has taken away the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would pose to them before.
Even though there is validity in each argument, it still does not explain why the team's showings at home have experienced such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have identified several failings post India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the squad.
Cricketers like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - were found wanting in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but inadequately to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The review targeted not only the cricketers - the selection panel and coaching staff were also criticized, spurred on by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the examination was head coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
