The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, South Africa gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in 25 years and India's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the careers of a number of cricketers - including head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Disappears
The new-look squad's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a new captain, indicated a smooth transition post the close together departures of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the commencement of the domestic season enhanced that perception, before the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the opening Test and was ruled out in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the team of the well below standard display in each match against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and multiple individuals hoping for long red-ball careers were shown as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second whitewash on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 win which effectively cost India a berth in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to South Africa threatens to derail India's hopes of making the decider of this season as well.
After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to number five. Even though nine more Tests are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
India's frailty in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Tests at home lately is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that assisted spinners and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an exception.
Today, the team seem easy pickings at home.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as rivals exploited them better, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering at home because home surfaces have been changed from spinning tracks to quick wickets to prepare players to perform better in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars play, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would present to them before.
Even though there is validity in each argument, it does not clarify why India's performances on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
Most former players identify a complicated issue, not only a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have identified various flaws following the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, poor choices, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the playing XI, and prioritising white-ball over the longer format.
This was clear in the showings of the side.
Members such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - fell short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their ability and standing - but inadequately to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The review targeted the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also questioned, fuelled by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the examination was head coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
