The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It was South Africa's maiden series victory in India 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 previous half-year has largely dissipated and the futures of several players - as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Disappears
The young team's strong showing in England this season, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a successful handover after the almost concurrent retirements of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign boosted that belief, till the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that captain Shubman Gill was injured very early in the initial match and took no further part in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the side of the terribly sub-par display in the two games against South Africa.
Several established players took a hit, and several players eyeing long red-ball careers were shown as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second clean sweep at home endured by India in just a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had secured a remarkable 3-0 win which practically cost the hosts a place in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas risks harming India's hopes of making the decider of this edition too.
From number three in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, the side have fallen to fifth place. Even though nine further games are remaining, a majority are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even against the strong Australian side. But the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
India's vulnerability in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. However, the reason India have struggled so much in Tests at home recently is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, India were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an aberration.
Now, the team appear to be vulnerable at home.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they prepared to favor their game failed miserably, as the opposition exploited them better, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is failing at home because domestic pitches have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to perform better abroad.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars play, has removed the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would present to them before.
While there is validity in each argument, it still does not explain why the team's showings on home soil have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players point to a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have highlighted various flaws following the team's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the team.
Members such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - fell short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem also included just the players - team selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, fuelled by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the criticism was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
