India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, the visiting team inflicted upon India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It marked the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm gained during the last several months has all but vanished and the prospects of several players - including team coach the coach - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, indicated a seamless changeover following the almost concurrent exits of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over the Windies at the beginning of the home campaign boosted that belief, till the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.
India were a bit unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill was injured quickly in the opening Test and did not participate again in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par display in each match against South Africa.
Several established players took a hit, and a few members aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were shown as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
It was the second series sweep in home conditions endured by India in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a remarkable 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a berth in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's chances of qualifying for the decider of this edition as well.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings before the series, India have been relegated to number five. Although nine additional matches are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Usually, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even against the mighty Aussies. But the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, the reason the team have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil lately is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, India were considered impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an anomaly.
Today, India seem easy pickings at home.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they curated to favor their game went wrong completely, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the home team's players when it was most crucial.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that India is failing at home because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to prepare players to perform better abroad.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars play, has reduced the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would pose to them earlier.
Even though there is some truth in each argument, it fails to account for why the side's results at home have experienced such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars identify a multi-faceted challenge, not just a few causes.
Experts and participants have identified multiple deficiencies after India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, poor choices, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the team lineup, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the side.
Members such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - came up short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Management Questions
The analysis also included just the players - selectors and backroom team were also criticized, driven by upset followers and vocal past stars. At the centre of the examination was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
