The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It marked the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and the host nation's second home series loss in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory established in the previous half-year has all but vanished and the careers of several players - including head mentor the coach - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The new-look squad's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a seamless changeover post the close together retirements of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the home season boosted that belief, before the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Gill got injured early on in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the team of the terribly sub-par performance in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and several players hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
Concerning History
It was the second whitewash on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just more than a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa risks harming India's chances of making the decider of this cycle as well.
From number three in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have been relegated to number five. Though nine further games are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Usually, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even against the powerful Australians. But the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. However, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil recently is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts brooked no opposition. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against England, was considered an aberration.
Currently, the team seem easy pickings on home turf.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they curated to favor their game went wrong completely, as opponents used them more effectively, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering at home because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to perform better abroad.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars play, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would pose to them earlier.
While there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason the side's results on home soil have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
Most former players identify a complicated issue, not limited to a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have identified several failings following the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and prioritising white-ball over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the squad.
Cricketers such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - came up short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not well enough to win matches.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - the selection panel and backroom team were also questioned, driven by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the examination was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
