The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, South Africa handed India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. This represented the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory established in the last several months has largely dissipated and the careers of multiple squad members - along with team coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this season, under a different skipper, suggested a smooth transition post the close together retirements of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the beginning of the domestic season strengthened that view, until the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that leader Shubman Gill got injured quickly in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the side of the highly disappointing performance in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players took a hit, and a few members hoping for extended tenures in Tests were shown as not up to the mark - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This was the second clean sweep at home experienced by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had pulled off a surprising 3-0 triumph which essentially denied the hosts a spot in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to South Africa threatens to derail India's chances of making the showpiece of this edition too.
After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have been relegated to fifth place. Although nine further games are still to come, a majority are against Australia. Usually, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even against the mighty Aussies. But the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's frailty 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.
Since the turn of the century, India were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that assisted spinners and benefited their players, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an anomaly.
Currently, India look to be vulnerable on home turf.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. 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.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that India is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been altered from spinning tracks to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to perform better in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has reduced the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would challenge them with earlier.
Although there is validity in both analyses, it does not clarify the reason the side's results at home have seen such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a few causes.
Experts and participants have pointed to various flaws after India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, poor choices, overconfidence, frequent changes of the team lineup, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the squad.
Cricketers such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - fell short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not well enough to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The analysis targeted the entire setup - the selection panel and backroom team were also criticized, fuelled by distraught fans and critical former players. At the centre of the criticism was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
