India's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, the visiting team handed India a record defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. This represented the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's second home series loss in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory gained during the past six months has largely dissipated and the futures of a number of cricketers - as well as head mentor the coach - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The young team's strong showing in England this season, under a new captain, suggested a successful handover after the almost concurrent retirements of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the start of the domestic season strengthened that view, before the South Africans turned up and handed out a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Shubman Gill got injured very early in the initial match and took no further part in the contest. But that fails to account for the squad of the well below standard display in both Tests against South Africa.
Some big reputations were damaged, and several players hoping for lengthy Test careers were shown as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second whitewash on home soil experienced by India in just over a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 win which effectively cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to South Africa could damage India's prospects of qualifying for the decider of this edition as well.
After being third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Even though nine additional matches are still to come, a majority are against Australia. Typically, playing at home would be a major plus - even when facing the powerful Australians. Yet the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
India's frailty in the longer format has been clearly revealed. However, the reason India have fared so badly in Tests at home recently is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an aberration.
Currently, the team appear to be vulnerable at home.
Versus New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals used them more effectively, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that the Indian team is failing at home because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to do well abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players take part, has reduced the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would pose to them in the past.
While there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it does not clarify the reason India's performances at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars identify a multi-faceted challenge, not just one or two factors.
Critics and players have highlighted multiple deficiencies following India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, poor choices, arrogance, regular alterations of the playing XI, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.
This was evident in the performances of the team.
Players like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - came up short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - team selectors and support staff were also criticized, driven by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the examination was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
