India's unexpected 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recent Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. This represented South Africa's maiden series victory in India in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has all but vanished and the prospects of several players - along with team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The young team's commendable display in England this season, under a different skipper, indicated a seamless changeover following the almost concurrent departures of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign boosted that belief, till the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that captain Gill got injured early on in the first Test and took no further part in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the terribly sub-par performance in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players took a hit, and multiple individuals hoping for long red-ball careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Worrying Trend
This was the second clean sweep at home experienced by India in just a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had pulled off a surprising 3-0 win which effectively cost India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to South Africa risks harming the team's chances of reaching the decider of this season also.
After being third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to number five. Though nine additional matches are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, playing at home would be a huge advantage - including against the powerful Australians. But the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's vulnerability in the longer format has been clearly revealed. That said, why India have performed so poorly in Tests at home lately is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were regarded as invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India brooked no opposition. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an anomaly.
Today, the team appear to be beatable on home turf.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to favor their game failed miserably, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that India is floundering at home because home surfaces have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to succeed overseas.
Some point out that the IPL, in which several international stars take part, has removed the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would pose to them earlier.
While there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for why the side's results at home have seen such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have highlighted various flaws post India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and favoring limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the showings of the side.
Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - came up short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but inadequately to secure victories.
Management Questions
The review targeted just the players - the selection panel and backroom team were also questioned, fuelled by disappointed supporters and critical former players. At the centre of the scrutiny was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
