The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' first series win in India in 25 years and India's second home series loss in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory built over the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the careers of a number of cricketers - along with head mentor the coach - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The emerging side's impressive performance in England this summer, under a new captain, indicated a smooth transition post the almost concurrent exits of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over West Indies at the start of the home campaign enhanced that perception, before the South Africans turned up and handed out a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Shubman Gill got injured early on in the opening Test and did not participate again in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the terribly sub-par display in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and multiple individuals hoping for lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second clean sweep on home soil experienced by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 win which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming India's chances of qualifying for the decider of this season as well.
Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, India have dropped to the fifth spot. Though nine more Tests are remaining, five of these are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even against the strong Australian side. However the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's vulnerability in the longer format has been clearly revealed. That said, why India have struggled so much in Tests at home lately is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts brooked no opposition. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an exception.
Currently, the team look to be vulnerable at home.
Facing New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The tracks they developed to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as opponents used them more effectively, surpassing the home team's players when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that the Indian team is failing at home because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to do well abroad.
Some point out that the IPL, in which several international stars take part, has reduced the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would challenge them with before.
While there is validity in these views, it does not clarify the reason the side's results at home have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players identify a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a few causes.
Experts and participants have highlighted multiple deficiencies following the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the squad.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - fell short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not well enough to secure victories.
Management Questions
The review targeted the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also under fire, driven by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. At the centre of the criticism was mentor Gambhir.
In his post-series press
