The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, South Africa gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It was South Africa's maiden series victory in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum gained during the previous half-year has all but vanished and the futures of multiple squad members - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The emerging side's strong showing in England this season, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a seamless changeover post the close together retirements of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign enhanced that perception, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that leader Gill suffered an injury early on in the opening Test and was ruled out in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the side of the terribly sub-par display in the two games against South Africa.
Some big reputations took a hit, and a few members eyeing extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Concerning History
It was the second clean sweep on home soil endured by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 victory which practically cost India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa could damage India's prospects of making the showpiece of this edition also.
From number three in the WTC table before the series, India have fallen to the fifth spot. Even though nine additional matches are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even against the powerful Australians. However the failures against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's weakness in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, the reason the team have fared so badly in Test matches at home in recent times is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as invincible in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an aberration.
Now, the team appear to be vulnerable at home.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they curated to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as opponents exploited them better, outplaying the home team's players when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering at home because home surfaces have been altered from spinning tracks to fast tracks to train the squad to perform better overseas.
A few mention that the IPL, in which several international stars participate, has reduced the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would present to them in the past.
While there is validity in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason the side's results at home have experienced such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players point to a complicated issue, not just a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to multiple deficiencies post the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the playing XI, and favoring white-ball over the longer format.
This was obvious in the showings of the squad.
Members such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - fell short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but inadequately to win matches.
Management Questions
The review also included not only the cricketers - selectors and backroom team were also criticized, spurred on by distraught fans and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
