The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, South Africa handed India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum established in the past six months has all but vanished and the prospects of several players - including head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The emerging side's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a smooth transition post the near-simultaneous departures of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over the Windies at the commencement of the home season boosted that belief, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
India were a tad unfortunate that leader Shubman Gill was injured early on in the initial match and took no further part in the series. However, that fails to account for the squad of the terribly sub-par showing in the two games against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and a few members eyeing lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second whitewash in home conditions experienced by India in just a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a place in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas could damage India's chances of reaching the showpiece of this edition as well.
After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have fallen to fifth place. Even though nine more Tests are yet to be played, a majority are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a major plus - even against the powerful Australians. But the failures against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
India's frailty in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil recently is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on pitches that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an aberration.
Today, India look to be easy pickings on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they curated to favor their game failed miserably, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that India is struggling in home conditions because local wickets have been altered from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to do well abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players participate, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would challenge them with in the past.
While there is some truth in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason India's performances on home soil have seen such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to multiple deficiencies following India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, regular alterations of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the team.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - fell short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not well enough to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem didn't spare not only the cricketers - the selection panel and coaching staff were also criticized, fuelled by upset followers and critical former players. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was head coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
