The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa handed India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. This represented South Africa's first series win in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's second home series loss in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory established in the past six months has all but vanished and the careers of a number of cricketers - as well as team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The emerging side's strong showing in England this season, under a new captain, pointed to a successful handover following the close together departures of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over the Windies at the start of the home season strengthened that view, before the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill got injured early on in the opening Test and did not participate again in the series. However, that does not excuse or justify the team of the well below standard performance in each match against the opposition.
Some big reputations took a hit, and multiple individuals aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were shown as not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second series sweep on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, underestimated the Kiwis had pulled off a staggering 3-0 triumph which practically cost the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to South Africa threatens to derail India's prospects of reaching the showpiece of this season also.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have fallen to number five. Though nine additional matches are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even when facing the strong Australian side. But the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. That said, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil in recent times is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were considered invincible in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an aberration.
Now, India appear to be beatable in their own backyard.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as the opposition exploited them better, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to prepare players to perform better abroad.
A few mention that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would pose to them in the past.
While there is some truth in these views, it fails to account for why the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars identify a complicated issue, not only a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have highlighted multiple deficiencies post the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, poor choices, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the side.
Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - were found wanting in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but inadequately to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, fuelled by distraught fans and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
