The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, the visiting team gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It was South Africa's initial series triumph in India in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum built over the last several months has almost disappeared and the careers of multiple squad members - including team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Disappears
The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a successful handover post the almost concurrent retirements of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over West Indies at the start of the home season boosted that belief, before the Proteas came and inflicted a fell blow.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that skipper Gill was injured very early in the initial match and did not participate again in the series. But that does not excuse or justify the team of the highly disappointing display in both Tests against the opposition.
Some big reputations suffered, and multiple individuals eyeing long red-ball careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second clean sweep on home soil endured by India in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a remarkable 3-0 win which practically cost India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming the team's hopes of reaching the final of this edition as well.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table before the series, India have dropped to the fifth spot. Though nine additional matches are yet to be played, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even when facing the strong Australian side. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
India's frailty in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, why the team have struggled so much in Tests on home soil in recent times is remains puzzling.
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 tracks that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an anomaly.
Today, India seem vulnerable in their own backyard.
Against the Kiwis in last year and South Africa currently, India were beaten at their own game. The pitches they developed to help their style went wrong completely, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the home team's players when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that India is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to do well abroad.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players take part, has removed the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would challenge them with before.
Even though there is validity in these views, it still does not explain why the side's results at home have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complicated issue, not just a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have identified multiple deficiencies following India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, poor choices, arrogance, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.
This was clear in the performances of the side.
Players like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - were found wanting in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not well enough to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - team selectors and support staff were also under fire, spurred on by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
