🔗 Share this article

India's surprising 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.

In the final match, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It was South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The positive trajectory built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the careers of a number of cricketers - as well as team coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.

Early Optimism Vanishes

The new-look squad's commendable display in England this season, under a fresh leadership, indicated a successful handover after the almost concurrent retirements of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.

A straightforward 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the home season enhanced that perception, until the Proteas turned up and handed out a crushing loss.

India were somewhat unlucky that leader Shubman Gill got injured very early in the first Test and took no further part in the series. However, that neither explains nor absolves the side of the well below standard display in the two games against South Africa.

Some big reputations were damaged, and a few members hoping for lengthy Test careers were shown as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.

A Troubling Pattern

It was the second clean sweep at home suffered by India in just over a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 victory which practically cost the hosts a berth in the Test championship finale.

The recent defeat to South Africa risks harming the team's chances of qualifying for the final of this season as well.

From number three in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to number five. Although nine additional matches are remaining, five of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even when facing the strong Australian side. But the failures against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.

Roots of the Decline

India's weakness in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, why the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home recently is remains puzzling.

Since the turn of the century, India were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on tracks that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an exception.

Currently, India seem easy pickings at home.

Against the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they curated to help their style failed miserably, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.

The Core Issue

Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is floundering at home because local wickets have been altered from turners to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to perform better overseas.

Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has removed the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would challenge them with earlier.

While there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for why the side's results on home soil have seen such a sharp fall.

Multiple Failings

The majority of ex-cricketers identify a multi-faceted challenge, not just a couple of reasons.

Critics and players have highlighted multiple deficiencies after the team's disappointing performance to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, regular alterations of the playing XI, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.

This was obvious in the performances of the squad.

Members such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - came up short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.

A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to win matches.

Management Questions

The analysis also included the entire setup - selectors and backroom team were also questioned, spurred on by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. At the centre of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.

During his post-series press