The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, South Africa inflicted upon India a record defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. This represented South Africa's maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and India's second home series loss in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum built over the past six months has all but vanished and the careers of several players - along with team coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The emerging side's strong showing in England this season, under a new captain, pointed to a seamless changeover post the near-simultaneous departures of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the commencement of the home campaign strengthened that view, till the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Gill suffered an injury early on in the opening Test and was ruled out in the contest. But that does not excuse or justify the squad of the terribly sub-par showing in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and several players hoping for lengthy Test careers were exposed as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second whitewash in home conditions suffered by India in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had achieved a surprising 3-0 victory which practically cost the hosts a place in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage India's hopes of making the decider of this edition also.
From number three in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have fallen to the fifth spot. Although nine additional matches are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Typically, playing at home would be a significant benefit - including against the strong Australian side. Yet the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's weakness in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. However, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home in recent times is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, India were seen as unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an exception.
Now, the team seem vulnerable at home.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as opponents exploited them better, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling at home because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to perform better in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players take part, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would present to them earlier.
While there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it does not clarify why India's performances on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a few causes.
Critics and players have pointed to multiple deficiencies post the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and favoring limited-overs over the longer format.
This was evident in the displays of the team.
Cricketers such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - came up short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The review targeted just the players - selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, driven by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the criticism was mentor Gambhir.
At his post-series press
