India's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, South Africa gave India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's first series win in India in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum built over the last several months has almost disappeared and the prospects of several players - including head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The emerging side's strong showing in England this season, under a new captain, suggested a successful handover after the almost concurrent departures of stalwarts R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the beginning of the home season boosted that belief, before the South Africans arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that skipper Gill got injured quickly in the initial match and was ruled out in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the side of the terribly sub-par showing in both Tests against the opposition.
Some big reputations took a hit, and a few members hoping for extended tenures in Tests were shown as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This represented the second series sweep in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a surprising 3-0 victory which practically cost India a place in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to South Africa threatens to derail India's prospects of qualifying for the final of this cycle also.
From number three in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have dropped to the fifth spot. Although nine further games are yet to be played, a majority are against Australia. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a major plus - including against the mighty Aussies. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. However, why the team have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil recently is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against England, was considered an exception.
Currently, the team look to be vulnerable at home.
Facing the Kiwis in last year and South Africa currently, India were beaten at their own game. The pitches they developed to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as rivals used them more effectively, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to succeed in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has reduced the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would present to them earlier.
While there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for why India's performances on home soil have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have pointed to multiple deficiencies post the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was evident in the displays of the side.
Players such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - were found wanting in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not well enough to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis didn't spare the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, driven by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. Under focus of the examination was head coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
