🔗 Share this article

The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.

In the final match, the visiting team handed India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' first series win in India in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.

The positive trajectory built over the last several months has largely dissipated and the careers of several players - along with head mentor the coach - are now uncertain.

Initial Hope Vanishes

The new-look squad's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, indicated a smooth transition following the close together retirements of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.

A facile 2-0 win over the Windies at the start of the home season enhanced that perception, before the South Africans came and inflicted a devastating defeat.

India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Shubman Gill was injured early on in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the side of the terribly sub-par performance in each match against South Africa.

Several established players suffered, and a few members eyeing extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the format.

Worrying Trend

This was the second clean sweep in home conditions suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a remarkable 3-0 win which essentially denied the hosts a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The recent defeat to the Proteas risks harming India's hopes of reaching the decider of this season also.

From number three in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, the side have been relegated to number five. Though nine further games are yet to be played, five of these are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even when facing the powerful Australians. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for that confidence.

Reasons for the Slump

India's weakness in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, why India have fared so badly in Tests at home recently is remains puzzling.

From the year 2000 onwards, India were regarded as invincible in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on tracks that assisted spinners and benefited their players, India faced little challenge. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an exception.

Currently, India seem vulnerable on home turf.

Versus the Kiwis in last year and South Africa this year, India were beaten at their own game. The tracks they developed to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals exploited them better, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.

What's Gone Wrong?

Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been altered from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to do well overseas.

Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has taken away the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would challenge them with earlier.

Even though there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings at home have experienced such a dramatic drop.

Various Shortcomings

Most former players identify a multi-faceted challenge, not just a few causes.

Critics and players have identified multiple deficiencies post the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and prioritising limited-overs over the longer format.

This was clear in the displays of the side.

Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - fell short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.

Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their ability and standing - but not well enough to secure victories.

Management Questions

The review didn't spare not only the cricketers - the selection panel and support staff were also questioned, spurred on by upset followers and vocal past stars. Under focus of the examination was mentor Gambhir.

At his post-series press