The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It marked South Africa's maiden series victory in India in 25 years and the host nation's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum established in the past six months has largely dissipated and the futures of a number of cricketers - along with team coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Disappears
The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this season, under a different skipper, indicated a seamless changeover post the near-simultaneous departures of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the start of the home campaign enhanced that perception, before the South Africans came and inflicted a fell blow.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury quickly in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par showing in both Tests against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and several players aspiring to lengthy Test careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Worrying Trend
This was the second series sweep in home conditions suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had pulled off a staggering 3-0 win which effectively cost the hosts a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to South Africa risks harming India's chances of making the final of this edition as well.
Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, the side have fallen to fifth place. Though nine additional matches are yet to be played, five of these are against Australia. Usually, playing at home would be a huge advantage - including against the powerful Australians. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Tests at home in recent times is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, India were seen as impregnable in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against England, was considered an exception.
Today, India appear to be easy pickings at home.
Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, India were beaten at their own game. The pitches they developed to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as opponents used them more effectively, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is floundering in home conditions because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to quick wickets to prepare players to do well overseas.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players play, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would pose to them earlier.
While there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it still does not explain the reason the side's results on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not just one or two factors.
Experts and participants have identified several failings after the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the team lineup, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was clear in the performances of the team.
Players such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - fell short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their ability and standing - but not well enough to win matches.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted just the players - selectors and support staff were also criticized, driven by distraught fans and critical former players. Under focus of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
