The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, the visiting team handed India a record defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It was the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory established in the last several months has all but vanished and the futures of several players - as well as team coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The young team's strong showing in the UK this season, under a new captain, pointed to a smooth transition post the almost concurrent departures of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the beginning of the home season boosted that belief, until the South Africans came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Gill was injured quickly in the opening Test and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the side of the well below standard showing in the two games against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and several players hoping for extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second whitewash on home soil endured by India in just a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 victory which practically cost the hosts a place in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage India's chances of reaching the final of this edition as well.
After being third in the WTC table prior to the contest, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Though nine additional matches are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's vulnerability in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. However, why the team have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil in recent times is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that helped spin and aided their squad, India brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an aberration.
Today, India look to be beatable at home.
Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as the opposition used them more effectively, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that India is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to do well overseas.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has taken away the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would challenge them with in the past.
While there is some truth in both analyses, it still does not explain why India's performances at home have experienced such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted several failings post India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the side.
Cricketers such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - were found wanting in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their ability and standing - but inadequately to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis also included just the players - selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, driven by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the examination was head coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
