The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' first series win in India in 25 years and India's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm gained during the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the careers of a number of cricketers - as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The emerging side's impressive performance in England this season, under a different skipper, suggested a seamless changeover post the near-simultaneous exits of veterans R 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 Proteas came and inflicted a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill was injured quickly in the opening Test and did not participate again in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing showing in both Tests against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and a few members eyeing lengthy Test careers were exposed as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second whitewash in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 victory which practically cost the hosts a berth in the WTC final.
The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming India's prospects of qualifying for the final of this edition also.
After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have dropped to the fifth spot. Even though nine additional matches are yet to be played, five of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a major plus - even against the mighty Aussies. However the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's weakness in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, why India have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil lately is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an exception.
Now, India seem beatable in their own backyard.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they curated to suit their strengths failed miserably, as the opposition exploited them better, outplaying the home team's players when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling at home because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to perform better overseas.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would present to them earlier.
While there is validity in each argument, it fails to account for the reason the team's showings on home soil have seen such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not just one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted multiple deficiencies post India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the side.
Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - came up short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Management Questions
The analysis also included the entire setup - team selectors and backroom team were also under fire, spurred on by upset followers and critical former players. At the centre of the criticism was team coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
