The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, South Africa handed India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. This represented the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum built over the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the prospects of multiple squad members - including head coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Disappears
The emerging side's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a smooth transition following the near-simultaneous departures of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the start of the home season boosted that belief, before the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.
India were somewhat unlucky that captain Gill suffered an injury very early in the opening Test and was ruled out in the series. Yet that fails to account for the team of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and a few members hoping for extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second series sweep on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 win which effectively cost India a place in the WTC final.
The latest loss to South Africa could damage the team's hopes of making the final of this edition too.
After being third in the WTC table prior to the contest, the side have dropped to the fifth spot. Although nine further games are yet to be played, a majority are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the failures against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
India's frailty in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, why India have struggled so much in Tests at home recently is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were considered invincible in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that assisted spinners and benefited their players, India dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an aberration.
Currently, the team seem easy pickings on home turf.
Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they curated to favor their game failed miserably, as opponents exploited them better, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to succeed in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which many overseas players play, has removed the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would present to them before.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it does not clarify the reason India's performances at home have experienced such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players point to a complicated issue, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to several failings following India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, frequent changes of the team lineup, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the showings of the team.
Players such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv 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.
Just a few - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Management Questions
The analysis targeted not only the cricketers - team selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, fuelled by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the criticism was team coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
