The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, South Africa handed India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It marked South Africa's first series win in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has largely dissipated and the prospects of several players - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The emerging side's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a seamless changeover after the near-simultaneous exits of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the home season strengthened that view, till the Proteas arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Gill got injured quickly in the opening Test and took no further part in the contest. However, that fails to account for the team of the terribly sub-par display in both Tests against the opposition.
Several established players suffered, and a few members aspiring to lengthy Test careers were shown as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second series sweep in home conditions endured by India in just over a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a remarkable 3-0 triumph which effectively cost India a place in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas risks harming the team's prospects of making the final of this edition also.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to number five. Even though nine more Tests are yet to be played, five of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a major plus - including against the powerful Australians. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's vulnerability in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason the team have fared so badly in Tests on home soil lately is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were regarded as impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an aberration.
Now, the team seem vulnerable on home turf.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Some suggest that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because home surfaces have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to perform better abroad.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would pose to them earlier.
Although there is some truth in both analyses, it does not clarify why the side's results at home have seen such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players identify a multi-faceted challenge, not only a few causes.
Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies following the team's disappointing performance to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, arrogance, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the squad.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - fell short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not well enough to secure victories.
Management Questions
The review also included not only the cricketers - team selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, driven by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
