The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, South Africa handed India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. This represented South Africa's maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and India's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm established in the past six months has all but vanished and the careers of a number of cricketers - as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The emerging side's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a smooth transition post the close together retirements of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season enhanced that perception, till the Proteas turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
India were a bit unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the opening Test and did not participate again in the contest. But that does not excuse or justify the squad of the well below standard performance in each match against South Africa.
Some big reputations took a hit, and several players eyeing long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the format.
Worrying Trend
This was the second whitewash at home experienced by India in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a remarkable 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a spot in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail India's chances of qualifying for the decider of this edition also.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, India have fallen to fifth place. Even though nine more Tests are yet to be played, a majority are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even when facing the strong Australian side. However the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
India's weakness in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, why India have performed so poorly in Tests at home lately is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, 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 aided their squad, India dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an aberration.
Today, India look to be beatable in their own backyard.
Against New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they prepared to favor their game went wrong completely, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering at home because home surfaces have been altered from turners to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to perform better abroad.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has removed the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would pose to them earlier.
Even though there is validity in these views, it fails to account for why India's performances at home have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players identify a multi-faceted challenge, not only one or two factors.
Experts and participants have identified multiple deficiencies after the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and favoring limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the side.
Cricketers like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - fell short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but inadequately to win matches.
Management Questions
The post-mortem also included not only the cricketers - selectors and backroom team were also criticized, fuelled by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the criticism was team coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
