The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, the visiting team gave India a record defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. This represented the Proteas' first series win in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum established in the past six months has all but vanished and the careers of multiple squad members - as well as head mentor the coach - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Disappears
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a new captain, suggested a successful handover post the almost concurrent retirements of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the home season strengthened that view, until the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.
The home side were a bit unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill got injured early on in the first Test and did not participate again in the contest. But that neither explains nor absolves the side of the well below standard performance in each match against South Africa.
Several established players suffered, and several players aspiring to lengthy Test careers were shown as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second whitewash at home suffered by the Indian team in just more than 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 recent defeat to the Proteas could damage India's prospects of reaching the showpiece of this cycle as well.
From number three in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Although nine more Tests are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even when facing the mighty Aussies. However the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
India's weakness in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. However, the reason India have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil lately is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, India were regarded as invincible in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an exception.
Currently, India look to be easy pickings at home.
Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they curated to favor their game went wrong completely, as the opposition used them more effectively, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to do well in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars play, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would present to them in the past.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it still does not explain why India's performances on home soil have seen such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
Most former players point to a complicated issue, not only a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to various flaws after the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the playing XI, and favoring limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was evident in the displays of the team.
Cricketers like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - came up short in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
Just a few - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Coaching Scrutiny
The review didn't spare the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also criticized, driven by distraught fans and critical former players. Under focus of the criticism was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
