India's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India a record loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It marked South Africa's maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm established in the past six months has almost disappeared and the futures of several players - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Disappears
The new-look squad's strong showing in England this season, under a different skipper, suggested a smooth transition post the almost concurrent departures of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the start of the home season strengthened that view, before the Proteas turned up and handed out a fell blow.
India were somewhat unlucky that captain Shubman Gill was injured early on in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the well below standard display in each match against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and several players aspiring to long red-ball careers were revealed to be not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second series sweep at home endured by India in just a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 victory which practically cost the hosts a spot in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to South Africa threatens to derail the team's chances of making the decider of this season as well.
After being third in the WTC table prior to the contest, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Even though nine additional matches are still to come, five of these are against the Aussies. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even against the strong Australian side. However the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason the team have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil in recent times is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an anomaly.
Now, the team appear to be easy pickings on home turf.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they developed to suit their strengths failed miserably, as the opposition used them more effectively, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that India is failing at home because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to train the squad to succeed overseas.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players play, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would challenge them with before.
Although there is some truth in these views, it fails to account for the reason the side's results at home have experienced such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted multiple deficiencies following the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, poor choices, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was clear in the performances of the squad.
Players such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - were found wanting in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not well enough to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem also included not only the cricketers - the selection panel and coaching staff were also questioned, driven by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the examination was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
