The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, South Africa gave India a record Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. It marked South Africa's 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 invincible streak.
The winning rhythm established in the past six months has all but vanished and the futures of a number of cricketers - including team coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The young team's strong showing in England this season, under a new captain, suggested a seamless changeover following the close together departures of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over West Indies at the start of the home campaign enhanced that perception, until the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the opening Test and was ruled out in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the well below standard display in both Tests against the opposition.
Several established players took a hit, and several players aspiring to long red-ball careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second whitewash in home conditions experienced by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had pulled off a staggering 3-0 win which practically cost the hosts a place in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to South Africa threatens to derail India's chances of qualifying for the showpiece of this season also.
After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, India have dropped to the fifth spot. Though nine more Tests are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a huge advantage - including against the mighty Aussies. Yet the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's vulnerability in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, why the team have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil in recent times is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that assisted spinners and benefited their players, India faced little challenge. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an aberration.
Now, the team seem vulnerable in their own backyard.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they developed to help their style failed miserably, as rivals used them more effectively, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is struggling at home because home surfaces have been altered from spinning tracks to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to do well in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which many overseas players take part, has taken away the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would challenge them with earlier.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it fails to account for why the side's results on home soil have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a few causes.
Critics and players have pointed to several failings following the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the side.
Players like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - came up short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not well enough to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The analysis targeted just the players - selectors and backroom team were also under fire, spurred on by distraught fans and critical former players. At the centre of the scrutiny was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
