The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, South Africa handed India a record defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has almost disappeared and the careers of several players - as well as team coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The emerging side's commendable display in England this season, under a new captain, indicated a successful handover post the near-simultaneous exits of stalwarts R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over the Windies at the start of the home campaign strengthened that view, before the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Gill suffered an injury very early in the first Test and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that does not excuse or justify the squad of the terribly sub-par display in each match against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and a few members eyeing long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This was the second clean sweep in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had secured a remarkable 3-0 triumph which effectively cost the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming the team's hopes of qualifying for the decider of this cycle too.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have dropped to number five. Although nine additional matches are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even against the powerful Australians. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, the reason the team have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil lately is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, India were considered invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, such as in 2012-13 against England, was considered an anomaly.
Currently, the team seem easy pickings at home.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they curated to favor their game went wrong completely, as the opposition exploited them better, surpassing the home team's players when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is struggling in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from turners to fast tracks to prepare players to perform better in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players take part, has taken away the mystery and hardship home wickets would challenge them with in the past.
Although there is some truth in these views, it fails to account for why India's performances at home have seen such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complicated issue, not just a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have pointed to multiple deficiencies following India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and prioritising white-ball over Test cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the team.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - were found wanting in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not well enough to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The analysis targeted the entire setup - team selectors and backroom team were also criticized, spurred on by distraught fans and critical former players. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was head coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
