India's unexpected 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, South Africa handed India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm gained during the previous half-year has all but vanished and the prospects of a number of cricketers - including head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The young team's strong showing in England this season, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a seamless changeover post the close together departures of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the home campaign strengthened that view, till the Proteas turned up and handed out a fell blow.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill got injured very early in the initial match and did not participate again in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par showing in the two games against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and a few members aspiring to long red-ball careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
It was the second series sweep on home soil suffered by India in just more than a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 win which practically cost the hosts a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas threatens to derail India's chances of making the decider of this season also.
After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, India have fallen to fifth place. Although nine further games are remaining, a majority are against Australia. Usually, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even against the powerful Australians. However the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
India's weakness in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason the team have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil recently is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on surfaces that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts brooked no opposition. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an anomaly.
Currently, the team seem beatable in their own backyard.
Versus the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas currently, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they developed to favor their game failed miserably, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that India is failing at home because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to quick wickets to train the squad to perform better overseas.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would present to them in the past.
Although there is validity in both analyses, it does not clarify why India's performances on home soil have experienced such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to multiple deficiencies following India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, poor choices, arrogance, regular alterations of the playing XI, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.
This was obvious in the displays of the team.
Players like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - came up short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, driven by distraught fans and critical former players. Under focus of the criticism was team coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
