The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, South Africa gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' first series win in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum built over the past six months has all but vanished and the prospects of multiple squad members - as well as head coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The emerging side's commendable display in England this season, under a fresh leadership, suggested a successful handover post the almost concurrent departures of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over the Windies at the start of the domestic season boosted that belief, before the South Africans came and inflicted a fell blow.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Gill was injured quickly in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing performance in each match against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and several players hoping for long red-ball careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Worrying Trend
It was the second whitewash at home endured by India in just over a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had secured a surprising 3-0 win which effectively cost India a place in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's prospects of reaching the final of this cycle also.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Even though nine further games are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a major plus - even when facing the powerful Australians. However the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
India's vulnerability in the longer format has been clearly revealed. That said, why India have fared so badly in Tests at home lately is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an aberration.
Today, the team look to be easy pickings on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they prepared to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as opponents exploited them better, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to succeed in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the IPL, in which many overseas players participate, has removed the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would present to them earlier.
While there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it fails to account for the reason India's performances at home have seen such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a few causes.
Critics and players have highlighted various flaws following the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, overconfidence, regular alterations of the playing XI, and favoring white-ball over the longer format.
This was clear in the showings of the squad.
Members such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - fell short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, fuelled by disappointed supporters and critical former players. In the spotlight of the examination was team coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
