The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, the visiting team inflicted upon India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It was South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum gained during the past six months has all but vanished and the futures of several players - including head coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The new-look squad's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a seamless changeover after the almost concurrent departures of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the home season enhanced that perception, till the Proteas arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
The home side were a bit unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill got injured early on in the initial match and took no further part in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the team of the well below standard display in the two games against South Africa.
Several established players suffered, and several players hoping for extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second series sweep at home suffered by India in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had pulled off a staggering 3-0 win which essentially denied India a spot in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's prospects of qualifying for the decider of this edition too.
After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Even though nine further games are still to come, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even against the powerful Australians. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
India's vulnerability in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. That said, why India have performed so poorly in Test matches at home in recent times is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, such as in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an anomaly.
Currently, the team look to be beatable in their own backyard.
Versus New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they prepared to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals exploited them better, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because local wickets have been modified from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to succeed abroad.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars participate, has taken away the mystery and hardship home wickets would pose to them in the past.
While there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it still does not explain why the team's showings on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a few causes.
Critics and players have identified several failings after the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and favoring limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the side.
Cricketers like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - were found wanting in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not well enough to win matches.
Management Questions
The analysis targeted not only the cricketers - selectors and support staff were also questioned, spurred on by upset followers and critical former players. Under focus of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
