The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, the visiting team inflicted upon India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum gained during the past six months has almost disappeared and the futures of a number of cricketers - as well as team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Disappears
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a seamless changeover after the close together retirements of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the home season boosted that belief, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a fell blow.
India were a bit unlucky that leader Gill was injured early on in the initial match and took no further part in the series. However, that fails to account for the team of the highly disappointing performance in each match against South Africa.
Some big reputations were damaged, and several players eyeing long red-ball careers were revealed to be not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the format.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second whitewash on home soil suffered by India in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had achieved a surprising 3-0 triumph which effectively cost India a spot in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to South Africa threatens to derail India's prospects of making the decider of this cycle too.
From number three in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to number five. Although nine further games are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Usually, playing at home would be a major plus - even when facing the powerful Australians. However the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. However, the reason India have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil in recent times is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, India were considered invincible in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an exception.
Now, the team seem vulnerable in their own backyard.
Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas currently, India were beaten at their own game. The pitches they prepared to favor their game went wrong completely, as rivals used them more effectively, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that India is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to do well overseas.
A few mention that the IPL, in which several international stars take part, has reduced the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would present to them earlier.
While there is validity in these views, it fails to account for the reason India's performances at home have seen such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to one or two factors.
Experts and participants have highlighted various flaws after India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the squad.
Players like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - fell short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem didn't spare just the players - the selection panel and backroom team were also criticized, driven by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the examination was mentor Gambhir.
In his post-series press
