India's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, South Africa gave India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory built over the past six months has all but vanished and the careers of multiple squad members - including head mentor the coach - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The emerging side's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a seamless changeover post the almost concurrent exits of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over West Indies at the start of the home campaign strengthened that view, till the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Gill suffered an injury early on in the initial match and was ruled out in the series. But that fails to account for the side of the well below standard display in the two games against the opposition.
Some big reputations took a hit, and several players aspiring to lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the format.
Concerning History
This was the second series sweep on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a remarkable 3-0 win which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's prospects of qualifying for the showpiece of this season too.
After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Though nine further games are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even when facing the strong Australian side. But the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's vulnerability in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, why India have fared so badly in Tests on home soil in recent times is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were seen as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an anomaly.
Today, the team look to be vulnerable on home turf.
Versus New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they prepared to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as opponents used them more effectively, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that India is failing in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to succeed abroad.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would present to them before.
While there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars identify a multi-faceted challenge, not just a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have pointed to various flaws following the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over Test cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the team.
Cricketers like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - fell short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The analysis didn't spare the entire setup - the selection panel and coaching staff were also criticized, fuelled by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the criticism was team coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
