The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, South Africa handed India a record loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. This represented the Proteas' first series win in India in 25 years and India's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum gained during the past six months has all but vanished and the prospects of a number of cricketers - as well as head coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Disappears
The young team's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a successful handover post the near-simultaneous retirements of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign strengthened that view, till the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill got injured early on in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the side of the terribly sub-par performance in each match against South Africa.
Some big reputations were damaged, and a few members eyeing lengthy Test careers were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This represented the second whitewash on home soil endured by India in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 victory which practically cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage the team's chances of making the final of this cycle also.
Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to fifth place. Although nine more Tests are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a huge advantage - including against the mighty Aussies. But the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. However, why India have struggled so much in Test matches at home lately is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that assisted spinners and benefited their players, India dominated all comers. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an aberration.
Now, India appear to be vulnerable at home.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they prepared to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals exploited them better, beating the home team's players when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that India is floundering at home because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to succeed in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has removed the surprise and difficulty home wickets would present to them before.
While there is validity in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason India's performances on home soil have seen such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to multiple deficiencies after the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the team lineup, and favoring limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the squad.
Cricketers such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - came up short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to secure victories.
Management Questions
The review targeted the entire setup - the selection panel and coaching staff were also questioned, fuelled by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
