India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum gained during the last several months has all but vanished and the prospects of several players - including head mentor Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, suggested a seamless changeover post the near-simultaneous exits of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the home season strengthened that view, until the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
India were somewhat unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill was injured very early in the initial match and did not participate again in the contest. But that neither explains nor absolves the side of the highly disappointing showing in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players suffered, and several players eyeing lengthy Test careers were revealed to be still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second series sweep at home endured by the Indian team in just over a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a remarkable 3-0 win which essentially denied the hosts a spot in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's prospects of making the final of this season as well.
From number three in the WTC table before the series, India have dropped to the fifth spot. Though nine additional matches are remaining, half of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a huge advantage - including against the mighty Aussies. However the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's weakness in the longer format has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason the team have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil in recent times is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an aberration.
Today, the team look to be beatable on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they developed to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as the opposition used them more effectively, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Some suggest that India is failing in home conditions because home surfaces have been altered from turners to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to perform better abroad.
Some point out that the IPL, in which several international stars play, has taken away the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would pose to them before.
While there is some truth in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players diagnose a complicated issue, not only a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted multiple deficiencies after the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, poor choices, arrogance, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and prioritising limited-overs over the longer format.
This was clear in the showings of the squad.
Cricketers such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - fell short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not well enough to secure victories.
Coaching Scrutiny
The review didn't spare just the players - the selection panel and backroom team were also questioned, driven by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
