The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It marked South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm gained during the last several months has largely dissipated and the futures of a number of cricketers - along with head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Disappears
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a successful handover after the close together retirements of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over the Windies at the start of the home season boosted that belief, before the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill was injured early on in the opening Test and was ruled out in the contest. But that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing display in the two games against the opposition.
Some big reputations took a hit, and several players hoping for lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
It was the second whitewash in home conditions experienced by India in just a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had secured a surprising 3-0 triumph which practically cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to South Africa threatens to derail the team's prospects of reaching the decider of this edition as well.
After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to number five. Even though nine further games are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - including against the mighty Aussies. Yet the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's weakness in the longer format has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why the team have fared so badly in Tests at home in recent times is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an aberration.
Currently, India appear to be beatable in their own backyard.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they prepared to favor their game failed miserably, as rivals exploited them better, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that India is struggling in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to do well overseas.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would present to them before.
While there is validity in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason India's performances at home have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not just a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have identified multiple deficiencies after the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the playing XI, and prioritising white-ball over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the squad.
Cricketers such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - fell short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem also included just the players - the selection panel and support staff were also criticized, driven by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. At the centre of the scrutiny was head coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
