India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recent Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, the visiting team handed India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It was South Africa's initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum established in the last several months has almost disappeared and the futures of several players - including team coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Disappears
The emerging side's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a seamless changeover post the close together exits of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over West Indies at the commencement of the home campaign boosted that belief, until the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill got injured quickly in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. However, that fails to account for the team of the highly disappointing performance in the two games against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and several players eyeing lengthy Test careers were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Worrying Trend
It was the second whitewash at home suffered by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a surprising 3-0 victory which effectively cost the hosts a spot in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to South Africa risks harming India's prospects of making the final of this cycle too.
From number three in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, India have fallen to the fifth spot. Even though nine additional matches are yet to be played, five of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - including against the strong Australian side. However the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
India's weakness in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, 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 invincible in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an anomaly.
Today, India seem vulnerable at home.
Facing the Kiwis in last year and South Africa currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they prepared to help their style backfired spectacularly, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the home team's players when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to train the squad to perform better in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has taken away the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would challenge them with before.
While there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings at home have seen such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not only one or two factors.
Critics and players have pointed to various flaws post India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over the longer format.
This was evident in the displays of the side.
Members such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - came up short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis targeted not only the cricketers - team selectors and backroom team were also criticized, driven by upset followers and vocal past stars. At the centre of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
