The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. This represented South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just a 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 - including head coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a seamless changeover after the close together exits of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the start of the home season boosted that belief, before the Proteas turned up and handed out a fell blow.
India were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill suffered an injury very early in the opening Test and did not participate again in the series. However, that neither explains nor absolves the side of the well below standard showing in each match against the opposition.
Several established players suffered, and a few members eyeing lengthy Test careers were shown as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second whitewash at home endured by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a remarkable 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a place in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming India's chances of making the showpiece of this cycle as well.
After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have dropped to the fifth spot. Though nine more Tests are remaining, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a major plus - including against the powerful Australians. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. However, why India have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil recently is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on pitches that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an anomaly.
Currently, the team look to be beatable in their own backyard.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The tracks they developed to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the home team's players when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
Some suggest that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from spinning tracks to quick wickets to prepare players to perform better overseas.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players participate, has removed the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would pose to them before.
Even though there is validity in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the side's results at home have seen such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complicated issue, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have highlighted various flaws post the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, arrogance, regular alterations of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the side.
Members such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - fell short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Management Questions
The review didn't spare not only the cricketers - selectors and support staff were also criticized, driven by distraught fans and critical former players. In the spotlight of the examination was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
