The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, South Africa handed India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory established in the past six months has all but vanished and the careers of multiple squad members - including head coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a successful handover following the close together departures of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the beginning of the home season enhanced that perception, until the South Africans came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill got injured very early in the initial match and did not participate again in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the terribly sub-par showing in both Tests against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and multiple individuals hoping for lengthy Test careers were shown as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second series sweep on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 win which practically cost the hosts a spot in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to South Africa risks harming the team's hopes of reaching the decider of this cycle also.
From number three in the WTC table prior to the contest, India have dropped to number five. Although nine further games are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even when facing the powerful Australians. However the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
India's frailty in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, why India have fared so badly in Tests at home lately is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were seen as unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Currently, the team seem easy pickings in their own backyard.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they developed to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as the opposition exploited them better, beating the home team's players when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that India is failing in home conditions because home surfaces have been changed from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to succeed abroad.
A few mention that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has reduced the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would pose to them before.
While there is some truth in these views, it does not clarify why the team's showings on home soil have seen such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars diagnose a complicated issue, not limited to one or two factors.
Experts and participants have highlighted various flaws after the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, poor choices, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.
This was obvious in the performances of the squad.
Cricketers such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - fell short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but inadequately to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem didn't spare just the players - selectors and support staff were also questioned, fuelled by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
