The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recent Test series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' first series win in India in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory established in the past six months has almost disappeared and the careers of a number of cricketers - including head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a successful handover after the almost concurrent exits of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the start of the home campaign enhanced that perception, before the South Africans came and inflicted a fell blow.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that captain Gill was injured quickly in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. Yet that does not excuse or justify the squad of the highly disappointing display in both Tests against South Africa.
Some big reputations suffered, and a few members eyeing lengthy Test careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second whitewash in home conditions suffered by India in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a surprising 3-0 triumph which practically cost India a berth in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to South Africa risks harming the team's chances of making the showpiece of this edition also.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to fifth place. Even though nine additional matches are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even when facing the mighty Aussies. But the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, why India have performed so poorly in Test matches at home in recent times is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an exception.
Now, India look to be beatable on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they prepared to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the home team's players when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to perform better overseas.
Some point out that the IPL, in which many overseas players participate, has taken away the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would present to them in the past.
Although there is validity in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have pointed to various flaws after India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, regular alterations of the team lineup, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the side.
Cricketers like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - fell short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their ability and standing - but not well enough to secure victories.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - team selectors and backroom team were also under fire, fuelled by distraught fans and critical former players. Under focus of the examination was head coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
