The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recent Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, South Africa gave India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's first series win 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 established in the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the prospects of a number of cricketers - including head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Disappears
The emerging side's commendable display in the UK this season, under a new captain, pointed to a successful handover following the near-simultaneous retirements of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the start of the home campaign boosted that belief, until the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that captain Gill suffered an injury early on in the first Test and took no further part in the series. Yet that fails to account for the side of the highly disappointing display in each match against the opposition.
Several established players suffered, and multiple individuals hoping for long red-ball careers were shown as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
This was the second whitewash in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just more than a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a remarkable 3-0 win which effectively cost the hosts a berth in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to South Africa risks harming the team's prospects of reaching the final of this cycle too.
After being third in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, India have dropped to the fifth spot. Even though nine more Tests are yet to be played, five of these are against the Aussies. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even against the powerful Australians. But the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. However, the reason India have performed so poorly in Test matches at home lately is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an aberration.
Now, India look to be beatable at home.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they developed to favor their game failed miserably, as opponents used them more effectively, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is failing at home because home surfaces have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to do well in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars play, has reduced the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would present to them in the past.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the side's results at home have seen such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
Most former players identify a complicated issue, not limited to one or two factors.
Experts and participants have highlighted several failings post the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the team lineup, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the side.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - fell short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but inadequately to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - the selection panel and coaching staff were also criticized, driven by distraught fans and vocal past stars. Under focus of the scrutiny was head coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
