India's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has almost disappeared and the prospects of several players - as well as team coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Disappears
The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this summer, under a fresh leadership, indicated a seamless changeover after the almost concurrent exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season strengthened that view, till the Proteas arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury quickly in the initial match and took no further part in the contest. However, that fails to account for the squad of the well below standard display in each match against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and several players hoping for lengthy Test careers were shown as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second clean sweep in home conditions experienced by the Indian team in just over a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a remarkable 3-0 victory which practically cost India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming the team's hopes of qualifying for the decider of this season also.
From number three in the WTC table before the series, India have dropped to the fifth spot. Although nine further games are yet to be played, five of these are against the Aussies. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even against the mighty Aussies. But the failures against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
India's frailty in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, why the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home lately is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an exception.
Now, the team appear to be easy pickings on home turf.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as the opposition used them more effectively, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because local wickets have been modified from turners to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to do well overseas.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players play, has taken away the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would pose to them in the past.
Even though there is validity in each argument, it fails to account for why the team's showings at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players point to a complicated issue, not limited to one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to multiple deficiencies post India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the squad.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - were found wanting in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - team selectors and backroom team were also under fire, spurred on by distraught fans and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the examination was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
