The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, South Africa gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It was South Africa's first series win in India in 25 years and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm built over the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the futures of several players - as well as head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The young team's strong showing in the UK this season, under a different skipper, suggested a successful handover after the near-simultaneous retirements of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign enhanced that perception, until the Proteas came and inflicted a fell blow.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that captain Gill suffered an injury very early in the first Test and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the team of the highly disappointing showing in the two games against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and multiple individuals aspiring to lengthy Test careers were shown as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This represented the second clean sweep at home experienced by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 win which practically cost the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to South Africa threatens to derail the team's chances of qualifying for the decider of this cycle as well.
From number three in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have been relegated to the fifth spot. Although nine further games are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - including against the strong Australian side. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
India's weakness in the longer format has been clearly revealed. That said, why India have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil lately is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an aberration.
Today, India seem vulnerable in their own backyard.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they developed to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals exploited them better, surpassing the home team's players when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because home surfaces have been changed from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to perform better in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the IPL, in which several international stars participate, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would pose to them before.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for why the team's showings at home have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a multi-faceted challenge, not just a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have identified several failings following the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, poor choices, overconfidence, regular alterations of the playing XI, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the squad.
Players like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - fell short in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis also included just the players - selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, driven by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. At the centre of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
