The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, South Africa gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It was South Africa's initial series triumph in India in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the futures of multiple squad members - as well as team coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The emerging side's commendable display in England this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a successful handover following the near-simultaneous exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the beginning of the home season enhanced that perception, till the South Africans came and inflicted a fell blow.
India were a bit unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill got injured early on in the opening Test and did not participate again in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the well below standard performance in the two games against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and several players eyeing extended tenures in Tests were shown as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second whitewash at home endured by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 win which effectively cost the hosts a berth in the WTC final.
The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming the team's hopes of qualifying for the final of this season too.
From number three in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, India have been relegated to fifth place. Though nine more Tests are remaining, five of these are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a major plus - even against the powerful Australians. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
India's frailty in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, why India have performed so poorly in Tests at home recently is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an exception.
Currently, the team look to be beatable on home turf.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they prepared to favor their game failed miserably, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the home team's players when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is struggling at home because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to perform better overseas.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which many overseas players play, has reduced the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would challenge them with in the past.
While there is some truth in these views, it fails to account for the reason the team's showings on home soil have experienced such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not only a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to various flaws after India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and favoring white-ball over the longer format.
This was clear in the showings of the squad.
Cricketers such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - fell short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not well enough to win matches.
Management Questions
The analysis also included not only the cricketers - the selection panel and coaching staff were also questioned, fuelled by upset followers and critical former players. Under focus of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
