The Indian cricket team's surprising 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 gave India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm built over the last several months has all but vanished and the futures of several players - along with team coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, indicated a smooth transition post the close together retirements of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the start of the home season strengthened that view, before the South Africans arrived to deliver a fell blow.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Gill got injured very early in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that does not excuse or justify the side of the terribly sub-par performance in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players took a hit, and multiple individuals aspiring to lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second clean sweep at home endured by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 triumph which effectively cost India a place in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to South Africa threatens to derail the team's chances of reaching the decider of this edition as well.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table before the series, India have fallen to the fifth spot. Although nine more Tests are still to come, a majority are against Australia. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - including against the powerful Australians. However the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been badly exposed. That said, why India have struggled so much in Tests at home in recent times is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an anomaly.
Currently, India look to be easy pickings on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they curated to favor their game went wrong completely, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering at home because local wickets have been modified from turners to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to perform better overseas.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which many overseas players participate, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would challenge them with earlier.
While there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it does not clarify why the side's results at home have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars diagnose a complicated issue, not just a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to multiple deficiencies following India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, overconfidence, frequent changes of the team lineup, and prioritising limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the side.
Cricketers like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - came up short in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Management Questions
The analysis targeted not only the cricketers - selectors and backroom team were also questioned, fuelled by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the examination was mentor Gambhir.
At his post-series press
