The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. This represented South Africa's 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 momentum established in the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the futures of multiple squad members - including team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Disappears
The new-look squad's commendable display in England this summer, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a smooth transition post the near-simultaneous departures of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign enhanced that perception, before the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that leader Shubman Gill got injured early on in the opening Test and did not participate again in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing performance in the two games against the opposition.
Several established players were damaged, and several players aspiring to lengthy Test careers were shown as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Worrying Trend
This was the second series sweep on home soil suffered by India in just over a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a surprising 3-0 triumph which effectively cost the hosts a place in the WTC final.
The latest loss to the Proteas could damage the team's chances of qualifying for the decider of this season also.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to number five. Although nine more Tests are yet to be played, a majority are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even against the powerful Australians. However the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
India's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. However, the reason India have performed so poorly in Test matches at home recently is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an exception.
Now, India appear to be beatable in their own backyard.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they curated to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as opponents used them more effectively, beating the home team's players when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is floundering at home because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to do well in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has reduced the surprise and difficulty home wickets would challenge them with in the past.
While there is some truth in each argument, it does not clarify why the team's showings at home have seen such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted several failings after India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the playing XI, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the squad.
Players like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - fell short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not well enough to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis also included the entire setup - selectors and backroom team were also criticized, driven by disappointed supporters and critical former players. At the centre of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
