The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recent Test series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, the visiting team handed India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It was the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has largely dissipated and the careers of several players - including head mentor the coach - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this summer, under a fresh leadership, indicated a seamless changeover post the almost concurrent departures of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the home season enhanced that perception, till the Proteas came and inflicted a fell blow.
India were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill was injured very early in the first Test and did not participate again in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the side of the well below standard performance in each match against South Africa.
Some big reputations took a hit, and a few members hoping for long red-ball careers were revealed to be not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second whitewash on home soil endured by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a spot in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming the team's chances of making the decider of this edition as well.
After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, India have fallen to the fifth spot. Although nine more Tests are still to come, a majority are against Australia. Usually, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - including against the powerful Australians. Yet the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why the team have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil lately is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, India were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an anomaly.
Today, India look to be easy pickings in their own backyard.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were beaten at their own game. The pitches they curated to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to perform better in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars play, has taken away the mystery and hardship home wickets would present to them before.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for why the side's results at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have highlighted various flaws following the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the side.
Members like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - fell short in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not well enough to claim wins.
Management Questions
The analysis also included not only the cricketers - team selectors and support staff were also questioned, fuelled by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the examination was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
