India's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, the visiting team handed India a record defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's second home series loss in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm established in the last several months has largely dissipated and the careers of multiple squad members - including head coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The young team's impressive performance in England this season, under a fresh leadership, suggested a successful handover after the almost concurrent departures of stalwarts R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the home campaign enhanced that perception, before the Proteas turned up and handed out a fell blow.
India were somewhat unlucky that captain Gill got injured very early in the initial match and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that does not excuse or justify the side of the highly disappointing display in each match against South Africa.
Some big reputations suffered, and multiple individuals aspiring to lengthy Test careers were exposed as not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the format.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second clean sweep on home soil suffered by India in just more than a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a remarkable 3-0 win which essentially denied India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa could damage India's chances of qualifying for the showpiece of this cycle too.
After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to number five. Although nine additional matches are still to come, a majority are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even against the mighty Aussies. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
India's frailty in the longer format has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Tests at home recently is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, India were considered invincible in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on tracks that helped spin and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an aberration.
Now, the team look to be vulnerable on home turf.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they curated to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as the opposition used them more effectively, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is failing at home because local wickets have been changed from turners to quick wickets to train the squad to perform better in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would present to them earlier.
While there is some truth in each argument, it does not clarify the reason the side's results at home have experienced such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a few causes.
Critics and players have highlighted several failings after the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and prioritising limited-overs over the longer format.
This was evident in the displays of the side.
Cricketers such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - fell short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not well enough to claim wins.
Management Questions
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also questioned, spurred on by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
