The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. This represented South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in 25 years and the host nation's second defeat at home in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum gained during the past six months has almost disappeared and the futures of several players - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The emerging side's commendable display in England this summer, under a fresh leadership, indicated a successful handover after the close together departures of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the start of the home season boosted that belief, until the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Gill suffered an injury quickly in the first Test and took no further part in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the side of the terribly sub-par showing in the two games against the opposition.
Some big reputations took a hit, and a few members hoping for lengthy Test careers were shown as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Concerning History
It was the second whitewash in home conditions endured by India in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 win which practically cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to South Africa threatens to derail India's prospects of qualifying for the decider of this edition as well.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table prior to the contest, the side have dropped to fifth place. Though nine additional matches are remaining, five of these are against Australia. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - including against the strong Australian side. However the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
India's weakness in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. However, why the team have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil recently is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, India were regarded as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, the hosts brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against England, was considered an exception.
Currently, the team look to be beatable on home turf.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they curated to help their style failed miserably, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the home team's players when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Some suggest that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from turners to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to do well overseas.
A few mention that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has reduced the mystery and hardship home wickets would pose to them earlier.
While there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason India's performances at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complicated issue, not just one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have identified several failings after the team's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and favoring limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was evident in the displays of the side.
Players like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - fell short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, spurred on by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. At the centre of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
