The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, South Africa gave India a record Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in 25 years and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has all but vanished and the careers of a number of cricketers - along with head mentor the coach - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The new-look squad's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a successful handover post the close together departures of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over West Indies at the commencement of the home season strengthened that view, until the Proteas arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill got injured very early in the initial match and took no further part in the series. However, that fails to account for the team of the terribly sub-par display in the two games against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and a few members aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the format.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second clean sweep on home soil suffered by India in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 victory which effectively cost the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming India's prospects of qualifying for the showpiece of this cycle as well.
From number three in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, the side have dropped to fifth place. Though nine additional matches are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even against the strong Australian side. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, why the team have performed so poorly in Tests at home in recent times is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an anomaly.
Today, India seem beatable in their own backyard.
Against the Kiwis in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they curated to favor their game went wrong completely, as opponents used them more effectively, outplaying the home team's players when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to perform better in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the IPL, in which many overseas players play, has taken away the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would present to them before.
Although there is some truth in these views, it still does not explain the reason the side's results at home have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
Most former players diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have identified multiple deficiencies after the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, frequent changes of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over the longer format.
This was clear in the displays of the side.
Cricketers like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - fell short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not well enough to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - team selectors and backroom team were also questioned, fuelled by upset followers and vocal past stars. Under focus of the examination was team coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
