The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory gained during the past six months has all but vanished and the careers of multiple squad members - along with head mentor Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a seamless changeover post the close together departures of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over the Windies at the commencement of the home season enhanced that perception, until the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.
India were somewhat unlucky that skipper Gill got injured quickly in the first Test and took no further part in the series. But that fails to account for the team of the well below standard performance in the two games against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and multiple individuals eyeing lengthy Test careers were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
It was the second series sweep at home endured by India in just more than a year. Last year, underestimated the Kiwis had achieved a remarkable 3-0 win which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the WTC final.
The latest loss to the Proteas threatens to derail India's chances of reaching the final of this season as well.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table prior to the contest, the side have fallen to number five. Although nine additional matches are yet to be played, a majority are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
India's vulnerability in the longer format has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, why the team have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil recently is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, India were seen as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on pitches that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Today, the team appear to be vulnerable in their own backyard.
Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is struggling at home because home surfaces have been changed from spinning tracks to quick wickets to train the squad to perform better in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would present to them earlier.
Although there is some truth in both analyses, it does not clarify the reason India's performances at home have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars identify a multi-faceted challenge, not just one or two factors.
Experts and participants have identified various flaws post India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, poor choices, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.
This was obvious in the showings of the team.
Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - came up short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to secure victories.
Management Questions
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also questioned, driven by distraught fans and vocal past stars. At the centre of the examination was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
