The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. This represented the Proteas' first series win in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm built over the last several months has almost disappeared and the futures of multiple squad members - including team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The emerging side's strong showing in England this summer, under a new captain, suggested a seamless changeover following the almost concurrent departures of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the start of the home season boosted that belief, before the Proteas turned up and handed out a fell blow.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the initial match and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing showing in each match against the opposition.
Several established players took a hit, and several players aspiring to lengthy Test careers were exposed as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the format.
Concerning History
It was the second whitewash in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a place in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to South Africa risks harming India's prospects of qualifying for the showpiece of this edition as well.
From number three in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, India have been relegated to number five. Though nine further games are yet to be played, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even against the mighty Aussies. Yet the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
India's weakness in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, why the team have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil in recent times is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that assisted spinners and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Today, the team appear to be easy pickings on home turf.
Facing the Kiwis in last year and South Africa currently, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they curated to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as rivals exploited them better, surpassing the home team's players when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that India is floundering at home because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to perform better overseas.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which several international stars participate, has reduced the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would pose to them before.
Even though there is some truth in these views, it fails to account for why the team's showings on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a multi-faceted challenge, not only one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted various flaws post the team's disappointing performance to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, arrogance, frequent changes of the team lineup, and favoring limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was clear in the showings of the squad.
Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - came up short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Management Questions
The analysis didn't spare not only the cricketers - selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, driven by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the criticism was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
