India's unexpected 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the careers of several players - including team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Disappears
The young team's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a new captain, suggested a smooth transition post the near-simultaneous departures of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the domestic season boosted that belief, till the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill got injured early on in the opening Test and was ruled out in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against South Africa.
Several established players suffered, and a few members eyeing long red-ball careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
It was the second whitewash on home soil endured by India in just a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a surprising 3-0 win which practically cost India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to South Africa threatens to derail the team's chances of making the decider of this season too.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, the side have dropped to number five. Even though nine additional matches are yet to be played, five of these are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. That said, the reason the team have struggled so much in Tests at home lately is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, India were seen as invincible in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that helped spin and benefited their players, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an aberration.
Currently, the team appear to be vulnerable at home.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they developed to favor their game failed miserably, as the opposition used them more effectively, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to succeed in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players take part, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would pose to them before.
While there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it does not clarify the reason India's performances on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars identify a complicated issue, not only a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have pointed to various flaws post the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, poor choices, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and favoring white-ball over the longer format.
This was obvious in the displays of the side.
Cricketers such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - came up short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem didn't spare not only the cricketers - team selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, fuelled by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
