The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, South Africa handed India a record loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. This represented the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in 25 years and India's another home failure in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory established in the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the careers of several players - including head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a seamless changeover following the close together retirements of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over the Windies at the commencement of the home season enhanced that perception, before the Proteas turned up and handed out a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that leader Gill suffered an injury early on in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that does not excuse or justify the squad of the terribly sub-par display in each match against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and several players hoping for extended tenures in Tests were exposed as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This represented the second whitewash in home conditions experienced by India in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a remarkable 3-0 win which effectively cost the hosts a place in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to South Africa threatens to derail the team's hopes of making the final of this season also.
After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to number five. Although nine additional matches are yet to be played, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even against the powerful Australians. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
India's frailty in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, the reason India have performed so poorly in Test matches at home lately is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, the hosts brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an exception.
Currently, the team seem easy pickings in their own backyard.
Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they developed to favor their game went wrong completely, as the opposition used them more effectively, surpassing the home team's players when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that India is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from spinning tracks to fast tracks to prepare players to do well abroad.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has reduced the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would pose to them in the past.
While there is validity in both analyses, it does not clarify why the side's results on home soil have seen such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not only one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have identified various flaws following the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.
This was obvious in the performances of the squad.
Players like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - came up short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Management Questions
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also questioned, spurred on by distraught fans and critical former players. In the spotlight of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
