Invincible No More: Why The Indian Test Match Reputation Has Crumbled

The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.

In the final match, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It marked South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in 25 years and the host nation's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The winning rhythm built over the last several months has almost disappeared and the prospects of several players - as well as head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.

Early Optimism Fades Quickly

The new-look squad's strong showing in England this season, under a different skipper, suggested a seamless changeover after the close together departures of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.

A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season strengthened that view, till the Proteas came and inflicted a fell blow.

The home side were a tad unfortunate that skipper Shubman Gill was injured very early in the first Test and took no further part in the series. However, that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the highly disappointing performance in each match against South Africa.

A number of star cricketers took a hit, and several players eyeing lengthy Test careers were shown as not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.

Concerning History

This was the second whitewash at home suffered by India in just over a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a remarkable 3-0 victory which practically cost India a berth in the WTC final.

The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming India's prospects of qualifying for the final of this cycle as well.

Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings before the series, India have been relegated to number five. Though nine further games are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even against the strong Australian side. Yet the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for such comfort.

Causes of the Fall

India's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why India have fared so badly in Tests on home soil lately is continues to confuse.

From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an exception.

Today, the team seem easy pickings at home.

Versus New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they developed to favor their game went wrong completely, as the opposition exploited them better, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.

The Core Issue

A few experts argue that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to do well overseas.

A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would present to them in the past.

Although there is some truth in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the side's results at home have witnessed such a sharp fall.

Several Weaknesses

Most former players diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not only a few causes.

Critics and players have pointed to various flaws after India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.

This was evident in the showings of the squad.

Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - were found wanting in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.

Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to win matches.

Management Questions

The post-mortem also included the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also questioned, fuelled by disappointed supporters and critical former players. At the centre of the scrutiny was mentor Gautam Gambhir.

At his post-series press