India's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, the visiting team inflicted upon India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. This represented South Africa's maiden series victory in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory gained during the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the prospects of multiple squad members - including head coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Disappears
The emerging side's commendable display in the UK this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a smooth transition following the close together exits of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over the Windies at the beginning of the home campaign boosted that belief, till the Proteas turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Shubman Gill was injured very early in the initial match and did not participate again in the series. However, that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the well below standard showing in the two games against the opposition.
Some big reputations suffered, and multiple individuals eyeing lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the format.
Worrying Trend
This was the second clean sweep in home conditions endured by India in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 victory which effectively cost the hosts a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas could damage the team's hopes of making the decider of this cycle too.
After being third in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, the side have fallen to fifth place. Even though nine further games are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even against the strong Australian side. Yet the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
India's frailty in the longer format has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason the team have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil lately is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, India were considered invincible in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an anomaly.
Now, India look to be beatable in their own backyard.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The pitches they developed to favor their game failed miserably, as rivals used them more effectively, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is struggling at home because home surfaces have been changed from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to perform better in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players play, has taken away the surprise and difficulty home wickets would present to them before.
While there is some truth in each argument, it fails to account for the reason the team's showings at home have seen such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not only one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted multiple deficiencies following the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the team lineup, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.
This was evident in the performances of the side.
Cricketers like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - came up short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The analysis also included just the players - the selection panel and support staff were also under fire, driven by upset followers and vocal past stars. At the centre of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
