The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, the visiting team handed India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It was South Africa's maiden series victory in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory established in the last several months has largely dissipated and the careers of several players - including head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Disappears
The new-look squad's commendable display in England this season, under a new captain, suggested a successful handover after the near-simultaneous departures of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the beginning of the home season boosted that belief, until the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Gill got injured very early in the first Test and took no further part in the series. But that does not excuse or justify the squad of the highly disappointing performance in the two games against the opposition.
Several established players took a hit, and several players aspiring to long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second whitewash in home conditions suffered by India in just a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had secured a remarkable 3-0 victory which practically cost India a spot in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming the team's prospects of making the decider of this cycle also.
After being third in the Test championship standings before the series, India have fallen to number five. Although nine more Tests are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Usually, playing at home would be a significant benefit - including against the mighty Aussies. However the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
India's frailty in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason India have performed so poorly in Tests at home in recent times is continues to confuse.
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 pitches that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an anomaly.
Currently, India look to be beatable on home turf.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they curated to favor their game failed miserably, as the opposition exploited them better, surpassing the home team's players when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from spinning tracks to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to do well in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would present to them in the past.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for why India's performances at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies post the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was clear in the showings of the team.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - came up short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - selectors and support staff were also questioned, driven by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the examination was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
