🔗 Share this article

The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recently concluded Test series has left the team reeling.

Just days ago, the visiting team gave India a record defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and India's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The momentum built over the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the futures of a number of cricketers - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.

A Promising Start Vanishes

The new-look squad's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a successful handover post the close together departures of stalwarts R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

An easy 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign strengthened that view, before the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.

The home side were somewhat unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing performance in both Tests against the opposition.

Several established players suffered, and a few members hoping for long red-ball careers were shown as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.

A Troubling Pattern

This represented the second series sweep on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had achieved a remarkable 3-0 win which effectively cost India a place in the WTC final.

The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's prospects of reaching the decider of this season also.

After being third in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, India have fallen to the fifth spot. Even though nine further games are remaining, a majority are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even against the powerful Australians. However the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for such assurance.

Reasons for the Slump

The national team's weakness in the longer format has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why the team have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil lately is remains puzzling.

From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that assisted spinners and aided their squad, the hosts brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an exception.

Now, the team appear to be easy pickings at home.

Facing New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they prepared to favor their game failed miserably, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the home team's players when it mattered most.

The Core Issue

Certain analysts propose that India is struggling at home because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to succeed overseas.

Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would present to them before.

Even though there is validity in each argument, it fails to account for why the side's results at home have seen such a staggering decline.

Several Weaknesses

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

Analysts and squad members have highlighted multiple deficiencies following India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.

This was evident in the showings of the team.

Players such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - were found wanting in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.

A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not well enough to win matches.

Leadership Under Fire

The analysis also included not only the cricketers - team selectors and support staff were also criticized, fuelled by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the examination was team coach Gambhir.

During his post-series press