India's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, the visiting team handed India a record defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. This represented South Africa's first series win 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 winning rhythm gained during the past six months has all but vanished and the careers of multiple squad members - as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Disappears
The young team's strong showing in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a successful handover after the near-simultaneous retirements of stalwarts R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the home campaign boosted that belief, before the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that skipper Gill suffered an injury very early in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. However, that does not excuse or justify the side of the well below standard showing in the two games against the opposition.
Some big reputations suffered, and several players eyeing extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second series sweep on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to the Proteas could damage India's chances of reaching the decider of this season too.
After being third in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, the side have fallen to number five. Though nine further games are yet to be played, a majority are against Australia. Typically, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's weakness in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. However, the reason India have struggled so much in Tests at home recently is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were regarded as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, the hosts brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Now, the team look to be vulnerable at home.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they prepared to suit their strengths failed miserably, as the opposition used them more effectively, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that India is struggling in home conditions because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to quick wickets to prepare players to succeed in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the IPL, in which many overseas players take part, has reduced the mystery and hardship home wickets would pose to them in the past.
While there is validity in both analyses, it does not clarify the reason the side's results at home have experienced such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a few causes.
Experts and participants have highlighted various flaws post the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, poor choices, overconfidence, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the squad.
Members like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - were found wanting in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not well enough to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The review targeted the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also criticized, fuelled by upset followers and critical former players. Under focus of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
