The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, South Africa handed India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in 25 years and the host nation's second home series loss in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum built over the last several months has largely dissipated and the prospects of several players - as well as team coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Disappears
The new-look squad's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a different skipper, suggested a successful handover after the almost concurrent retirements of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the home season strengthened that view, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
India were a bit unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the first Test and took no further part in the contest. Yet that does not excuse or justify the squad of the highly disappointing performance in each match against the opposition.
Some big reputations took a hit, and multiple individuals hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This was the second whitewash in home conditions endured by India in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to the Proteas could damage the team's chances of reaching the showpiece of this edition too.
After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Although nine additional matches are remaining, a majority are against the Aussies. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - including against the strong Australian side. However the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
India's frailty in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, why India have struggled so much in Test matches at home lately is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on pitches that helped spin and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an exception.
Now, India look to be easy pickings at home.
Against the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they curated to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because home surfaces have been altered from turners to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to perform better overseas.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has reduced the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would challenge them with earlier.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it still does not explain the reason India's performances on home soil have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players point to a multi-faceted challenge, not just one or two factors.
Experts and participants have pointed to several failings post India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, frequent changes of the playing XI, and emphasizing limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the squad.
Players like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - were found wanting in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem didn't spare not only the cricketers - team selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, fuelled by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
