India's unexpected 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, the visiting team handed India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It marked South Africa's initial series triumph in India in 25 years and India's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum gained during the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the futures of a number of cricketers - as well as head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this summer, under a new captain, indicated a successful handover after the almost concurrent departures of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the beginning of the domestic season enhanced that perception, until the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Gill got injured early on in the first Test and took no further part in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the team of the terribly sub-par performance in both Tests against South Africa.
Some big reputations took a hit, and a few members eyeing long red-ball careers were shown as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the format.
Concerning History
It was the second clean sweep in home conditions suffered by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had achieved a surprising 3-0 win which essentially denied India a place in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage India's chances of qualifying for the final of this edition also.
From number three in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to the fifth spot. Though nine further games are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Usually, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even against the mighty Aussies. But the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, the reason India have fared so badly in Tests on home soil recently is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, India were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an aberration.
Currently, the team appear to be vulnerable on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The pitches they prepared to help their style went wrong completely, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is floundering at home because home surfaces have been changed from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to perform better in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players play, has reduced the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would challenge them with in the past.
Although 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.
Multiple Failings
Most former players identify a multi-faceted challenge, not only a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have pointed to multiple deficiencies post the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, poor choices, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the squad.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - were found wanting in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price 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 secure victories.
Management Questions
The analysis also included the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also questioned, spurred on by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the scrutiny was mentor Gambhir.
In his post-series press
