The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, South Africa gave India a record loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. This represented South Africa's first series win in India in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory built over the last several months has almost disappeared and the careers of a number of cricketers - along with team coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The emerging side's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a different skipper, suggested a successful handover after the almost concurrent retirements of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the commencement of the home season boosted that belief, before the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that captain Gill was injured quickly in the initial match and took no further part in the series. But that fails to account for the side of the terribly sub-par performance in each match against South Africa.
Several established players took a hit, and several players eyeing long red-ball careers were shown as not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second whitewash at home endured by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a remarkable 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a place in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming India's hopes of qualifying for the final of this edition also.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table before the series, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Though nine additional matches are yet to be played, a majority are against Australia. Usually, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - including against the mighty Aussies. However the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's vulnerability in Test cricket has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil in recent times is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an aberration.
Now, India appear to be beatable on home turf.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they curated to help their style backfired spectacularly, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to perform better in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the IPL, in which several international stars participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would present to them before.
While there is some truth in each argument, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings at home have experienced such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complicated issue, not only one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted various flaws post the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the squad.
Members like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - were found wanting in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not well enough to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - selectors and support staff were also questioned, driven by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the examination was mentor Gambhir.
In his post-series press
