The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It was South Africa's first series win in India in 25 years and India's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm gained during the past six months has largely dissipated and the futures of several players - as well as head mentor the coach - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The emerging side's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a successful handover following the almost concurrent departures of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the beginning of the domestic season strengthened that view, until the South Africans came and inflicted a fell blow.
The home side were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill suffered an injury early on in the opening Test and was ruled out in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the highly disappointing display in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and a few members hoping for lengthy Test careers were exposed as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the format.
Concerning History
It was the second clean sweep on home soil suffered by India in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 win which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to South Africa could damage India's chances of making the showpiece of this edition as well.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings before the series, India have dropped to number five. Though nine additional matches are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
India's weakness in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, why India have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil lately is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an exception.
Currently, India seem beatable at home.
Against the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they prepared to suit their strengths failed miserably, as rivals used them more effectively, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling at home because domestic pitches have been modified from spinning tracks to quick wickets to prepare players to succeed abroad.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has reduced the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would present to them before.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for why India's performances on home soil have experienced such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players identify a complicated issue, not limited to a few causes.
Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies after the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the team.
Members such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - were found wanting in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but inadequately to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem also included just the players - selectors and backroom team were also questioned, spurred on by upset followers and vocal past stars. Under focus of the criticism was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
