The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, South Africa gave India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in two and a half decades and India's second home series loss in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the prospects of multiple squad members - as well as team coach the coach - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Disappears
The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a smooth transition following the almost concurrent exits of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the commencement of the home season enhanced that perception, until the South Africans arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the first Test and was ruled out in the contest. But that fails to account for the side of the highly disappointing showing in both Tests against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and several players aspiring to lengthy Test careers were shown as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
Concerning History
It was the second series sweep on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, underestimated the Kiwis had secured a remarkable 3-0 win which essentially denied India a place in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to South Africa threatens to derail the team's chances of qualifying for the showpiece of this edition as well.
After being third in the WTC table before the series, India have fallen to the fifth spot. Although nine more Tests are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even when facing the strong Australian side. But the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. However, why the team have struggled so much in Tests on home soil recently is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on pitches that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an anomaly.
Now, India look to be easy pickings on home turf.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they developed to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as rivals used them more effectively, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to do well abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players participate, has taken away the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would challenge them with earlier.
Even though there is some truth in each argument, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings at home have seen such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players diagnose a complicated issue, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have pointed to various flaws following the team's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and favoring limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the squad.
Members like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - 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 - lived up to their ability and standing - but inadequately to secure victories.
Management Questions
The review targeted the entire setup - selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, driven by upset followers and critical former players. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
