India's unexpected 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recently concluded Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, South Africa inflicted upon India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' first series win in India in 25 years and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum gained during the previous half-year has all but vanished and the careers of a number of cricketers - including head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The young team's impressive performance in England this season, under a fresh leadership, indicated a smooth transition post the close together retirements of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over West Indies at the commencement of the home campaign strengthened that view, till the Proteas came and inflicted a fell blow.
The home side were a bit unlucky that leader Gill got injured early on in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing display in both Tests against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and several players hoping for long red-ball careers were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second clean sweep on home soil suffered by India in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a surprising 3-0 triumph which practically cost the hosts a place in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to the Proteas could damage India's hopes of making the decider of this edition also.
After being third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, India have dropped to number five. Though nine further games are remaining, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even against the mighty Aussies. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
India's weakness in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, why India have performed so poorly in Tests at home in recent times is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an exception.
Currently, the team appear to be vulnerable on home turf.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they developed to favor their game failed miserably, as rivals exploited them better, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is failing at home because domestic pitches have been modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to train the squad to succeed overseas.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players take part, has taken away the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would present to them in the past.
Although there is validity in these views, it fails to account for why India's performances on home soil have experienced such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars point to a complicated issue, not just one or two factors.
Experts and participants have highlighted various flaws after the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the team lineup, and prioritising white-ball over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the team.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - came up short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not well enough to secure victories.
Coaching Scrutiny
The analysis didn't spare just the players - selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, driven by disappointed supporters and critical former players. At the centre of the examination was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
