India's unexpected 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recent Test series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, South Africa handed India a record defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in 25 years and India's second home series loss in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum established in the past six months has largely dissipated and the prospects of a number of cricketers - including team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's commendable display in the UK this season, under a different skipper, indicated a successful handover post the close together retirements of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the start of the domestic season boosted that belief, till the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.
India were somewhat unlucky that leader Gill was injured very early in the opening Test and was ruled out in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the well below standard display in the two games against the opposition.
Several established players took a hit, and a few members eyeing lengthy Test careers were shown as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second clean sweep in home conditions experienced by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had pulled off a staggering 3-0 victory which practically cost India a place in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming India's chances of qualifying for the showpiece of this cycle too.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to number five. Although nine additional matches are still to come, five of these are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - including against the mighty Aussies. Yet the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, why India have fared so badly in Test matches at home lately is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts brooked no opposition. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an anomaly.
Currently, the team look to be beatable on home turf.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they prepared to help their style went wrong completely, as the opposition exploited them better, outplaying the home team's players when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Some suggest that India is struggling at home because domestic pitches have been modified from turners 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 mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would present to them earlier.
While there is validity in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players point to a complicated issue, not just one or two factors.
Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies after the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the playing XI, and favoring limited-overs over the longer format.
This was evident in the showings of the squad.
Players such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - fell short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but inadequately to claim wins.
Management Questions
The review also included just the players - team selectors and backroom team were also criticized, fuelled by disappointed supporters and critical former players. At the centre of the criticism was team coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
