The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa handed India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm established in the past six months has almost disappeared and the careers of a number of cricketers - as well as team coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, indicated a successful handover post the close together exits of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the start of the domestic season boosted that belief, until the Proteas came and inflicted a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that captain Gill was injured quickly in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. However, that fails to account for the team of the well below standard performance in the two games against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and several players aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not up to the mark - technically or mentally - for the format.
Worrying Trend
This was the second series sweep in home conditions suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 triumph which essentially denied the hosts a spot in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to South Africa could damage India's hopes of making the decider of this edition also.
After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, India have been relegated to fifth place. Even though nine additional matches are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Usually, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even against the strong Australian side. But the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, why the team have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil recently is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that assisted spinners and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an exception.
Currently, the team look to be easy pickings on home turf.
Facing New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they developed to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the home team's players when it counted the most.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that India is struggling at home because home surfaces have been altered from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to succeed abroad.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players play, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would pose to them earlier.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it does not clarify the reason the team's showings on home soil have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players identify a multi-faceted challenge, not only one or two factors.
Critics and players have pointed to several failings following the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and prioritising white-ball over the longer format.
This was obvious in the performances of the team.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - came up short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not well enough to secure victories.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - the selection panel and backroom team were also under fire, fuelled by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the scrutiny was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
