The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, South Africa gave India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It marked South Africa's maiden series victory in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and the host nation's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum established in the past six months has almost disappeared and the careers of a number of cricketers - along with team coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The emerging side's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a new captain, indicated a successful handover following the close together exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the start of the home campaign boosted that belief, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that leader Gill suffered an injury early on in the opening Test and did not participate again in the contest. But that fails to account for the side of the terribly sub-par performance in both Tests against South Africa.
Some big reputations suffered, and multiple individuals hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second whitewash at home experienced by India in just a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had achieved a remarkable 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a place in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to South Africa threatens to derail India's prospects of qualifying for the showpiece of this season as well.
After being third in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have been relegated to fifth place. Though nine more Tests are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even against the strong Australian side. Yet the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's weakness in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. However, the reason the team have struggled so much in Test matches at home in recent times is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an exception.
Now, the team appear 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 developed to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling at home because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to perform better abroad.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars play, has reduced the mystery and hardship home wickets would pose to them earlier.
Although there is validity in these views, it still does not explain why India's performances on home soil have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars identify a complicated issue, not just one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have identified several failings post India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, frequent changes of the playing XI, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the squad.
Players such as Rishabh 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 - fell short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Management Questions
The review didn't spare just the players - the selection panel and coaching staff were also under fire, spurred on by distraught fans and vocal past stars. At the centre of the criticism was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
