The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' first series win in India in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory gained during the previous half-year has all but vanished and the futures of a number of cricketers - along with head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Disappears
The emerging side's impressive performance in England this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a seamless changeover post the close together departures of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the beginning of the home season strengthened that view, till the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill got injured quickly in the opening Test and was ruled out in the series. However, that fails to account for the side of the terribly sub-par showing in each match against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and multiple individuals eyeing long red-ball careers were shown as not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the format.
Concerning History
This represented the second clean sweep in home conditions suffered by India in just more than a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a berth in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail India's prospects of reaching the final of this edition too.
After being third in the WTC table before the series, the side have been relegated to number five. Even though nine additional matches are yet to be played, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even against the strong Australian side. But the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's weakness in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason the team have struggled so much in Tests on home soil in recent times is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were considered unbeatable in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that assisted spinners and benefited their players, India brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an exception.
Currently, the team appear to be beatable at home.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they curated to favor their game went wrong completely, as rivals used them more effectively, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that India is failing in home conditions because home surfaces have been changed from turners to quick wickets to prepare players to succeed overseas.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would challenge them with before.
Even though there is some truth in these views, it does not clarify the reason India's performances at home have experienced such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not only one or two factors.
Critics and players have pointed to several failings post the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and emphasizing limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the team.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - came up short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but inadequately to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem also included just the players - selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, spurred on by distraught fans and critical former players. In the spotlight of the criticism was mentor Gambhir.
In his post-series press
