India's unexpected 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recent Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, South Africa handed India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' maiden series victory in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory gained during the past six months has all but vanished and the careers of a number of cricketers - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's commendable display in the UK this season, under a new captain, indicated a successful handover after the close together exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the domestic season boosted that belief, until the Proteas came and inflicted a fell blow.
The home side were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill was injured very early in the first Test and took no further part in the series. Yet that fails to account for the team of the well below standard display in the two games against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and multiple individuals hoping for lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
It was the second whitewash in home conditions experienced by India in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a place in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage India's hopes of making the showpiece of this edition as well.
After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have fallen to number five. Although nine more Tests are yet to be played, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been badly exposed. However, why India have struggled so much in Tests at home lately is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on pitches that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an exception.
Today, India seem easy pickings in their own backyard.
Facing the Kiwis in last year and South Africa currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as rivals used them more effectively, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that India is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to quick wickets to prepare players to do well in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars play, has removed the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would pose to them in the past.
While there is validity in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason the side's results on home soil have seen such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars point to a complicated issue, not limited to a few causes.
Experts and participants have highlighted multiple deficiencies post the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, poor choices, arrogance, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.
This was obvious in the performances of the team.
Cricketers such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - fell short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not well enough to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The analysis didn't spare just the players - team selectors and backroom team were also questioned, fuelled by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the examination was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
