The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, South Africa handed India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' first series win in India in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory built over the last several months has all but vanished and the careers of several players - along with team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Disappears
The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this season, under a fresh leadership, indicated a smooth transition after the almost concurrent exits of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the home season enhanced that perception, until the South Africans came and inflicted a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that leader Gill suffered an injury quickly in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. But that fails to account for the team of the highly disappointing performance in both Tests against South Africa.
Some big reputations took a hit, and a few members hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Worrying Trend
This was the second clean sweep in home conditions suffered by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, underestimated the Kiwis had achieved a remarkable 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a place in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to South Africa risks harming the team's prospects of reaching the showpiece of this edition as well.
Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have been relegated to number five. Though nine additional matches are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Typically, playing at home would be a huge advantage - including against the strong Australian side. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
India's vulnerability in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, why India have performed so poorly in Test matches at home lately is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts brooked no opposition. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an exception.
Today, the team look to be beatable at home.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they developed to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the home team's players when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
Some suggest that India is failing in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to succeed in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players take part, has reduced the surprise and difficulty home wickets would challenge them with earlier.
Although there is some truth in each argument, it does not clarify why the side's results at home have seen such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not only one or two factors.
Critics and players have pointed to several failings after the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over the longer format.
This was evident in the showings of the team.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - came up short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem didn't spare not only the cricketers - the selection panel and backroom team were also questioned, fuelled by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. Under focus of the examination was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
