The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recent Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, the visiting team gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in 25 years and India's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm built over the past six months has all but vanished and the careers of a number of cricketers - along with team coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Disappears
The emerging side's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a successful handover after the near-simultaneous departures of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over West Indies at the start of the home campaign strengthened that view, before the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill was injured early on in the initial match and did not participate again in the series. But that does not excuse or justify the side of the well below standard performance in each match against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and a few members aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were exposed as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second clean sweep at home endured by India in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 win which practically cost India a berth in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to South Africa could damage the team's hopes of making the final of this season also.
After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Although nine more Tests are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Usually, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even against the powerful Australians. Yet the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. That said, the reason India have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil recently is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were considered invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an aberration.
Currently, India appear to be beatable at home.
Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they developed to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as opponents used them more effectively, beating the home team's players when it was most crucial.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to succeed abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players take part, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would pose to them before.
Although there is validity in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted various flaws post the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, poor choices, arrogance, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and favoring white-ball over the longer format.
This was obvious in the displays of the squad.
Cricketers like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - came up short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not well enough to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The review targeted just the players - selectors and support staff were also criticized, fuelled by distraught fans and critical former players. At the centre of the examination was team coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
