The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. This represented South Africa's first series win in India in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory gained during the past six months has largely dissipated and the futures of multiple squad members - along with head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The young team's strong showing in England this summer, under a new captain, indicated a successful handover following the almost concurrent departures of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over the Windies at the commencement of the home season strengthened that view, before the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Gill suffered an injury very early in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. Yet that fails to account for the team of the terribly sub-par showing in both Tests against the opposition.
Some big reputations were damaged, and multiple individuals eyeing extended tenures in Tests were shown as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second clean sweep in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 triumph which effectively cost the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa could damage India's hopes of reaching the decider of this season as well.
After being third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Although nine additional matches are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a major plus - including against the powerful Australians. However the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's weakness in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, why India have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil in recent times is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, India were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an exception.
Now, the team seem beatable in their own backyard.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they prepared to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that India is failing in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from spinning tracks to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to succeed overseas.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which several international stars participate, has taken away the surprise and difficulty home wickets would pose to them before.
While there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason India's performances on home soil have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars diagnose a complicated issue, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have pointed to multiple deficiencies after India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the team lineup, and prioritising white-ball over the longer format.
This was clear in the showings of the squad.
Members such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - were found wanting in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to claim wins.
Management Questions
The post-mortem didn't spare not only the cricketers - the selection panel and coaching staff were also questioned, driven by distraught fans and critical former players. Under focus of the examination was team coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
