The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, South Africa inflicted upon India a record defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. It marked the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in two and a half decades and India's second home series loss in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum gained during the past six months has almost disappeared and the prospects of several players - as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The emerging side's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a different skipper, indicated a successful handover following the almost concurrent retirements of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the home season enhanced that perception, before the Proteas turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Gill was injured quickly in the first Test and took no further part in the series. But that fails to account for the team of the highly disappointing performance in the two games against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and a few members eyeing long red-ball careers were revealed to be not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second series sweep in home conditions endured by India in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a surprising 3-0 triumph which effectively cost India a spot in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming the team's hopes of making the final of this season also.
After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have dropped to number five. Even though nine more Tests are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - including against the strong Australian side. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why the team have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil recently is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an aberration.
Currently, India appear to be vulnerable in their own backyard.
Against the Kiwis in last year and South Africa this year, India were beaten at their own game. The pitches they developed to suit their strengths failed miserably, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the home team's players when it was most crucial.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that India is struggling at home because domestic pitches have been altered from spinning tracks to fast tracks to train the squad to do well abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players play, has removed the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would pose to them in the past.
Even though there is validity in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason India's performances at home have experienced such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have identified multiple deficiencies following India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, poor choices, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and prioritising limited-overs over the longer format.
This was clear in the displays of the team.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - fell short in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Management Questions
The analysis targeted not only the cricketers - team selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, fuelled by disappointed supporters and critical former players. At the centre of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
