The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recent Test series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's second defeat at home in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum built over the last several months has all but vanished and the careers of several players - as well as head mentor the coach - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The young team's strong showing in the UK this season, under a different skipper, indicated a successful handover following the almost concurrent exits of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the beginning of the home season strengthened that view, till the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Gill was injured quickly in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing showing in each match against the opposition.
Several established players were damaged, and several players aspiring to long red-ball careers were shown as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Concerning History
This represented the second series sweep at home endured by India in just more than a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 win which essentially denied India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa threatens to derail the team's prospects of reaching the decider of this edition too.
After being third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, India have been relegated to fifth place. Though nine further games are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a huge advantage - including against the mighty Aussies. Yet the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, why India have performed so poorly in Test matches at home recently is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were regarded as invincible in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on surfaces that assisted spinners and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an aberration.
Currently, India look to be beatable on home turf.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas currently, India were beaten at their own game. The tracks they developed to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as opponents used them more effectively, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is failing in home conditions because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to perform better abroad.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars participate, has taken away the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would pose to them in the past.
While there is some truth in each argument, it fails to account for why India's performances on home soil have seen such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a multi-faceted challenge, not only a few causes.
Experts and participants have highlighted several failings post India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, poor choices, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and emphasizing limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the team.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - fell short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Just a few - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - the selection panel and backroom team were also questioned, driven by distraught fans and vocal past stars. Under focus of the examination was team coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
