The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, the visiting team handed India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' first series win in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm gained during the last several months has largely dissipated and the futures of several players - including team coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The new-look squad's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a successful handover post the close together retirements of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the beginning of the domestic season strengthened that view, until the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that skipper Gill suffered an injury quickly in the initial match and took no further part in the contest. But that fails to account for the side of the terribly sub-par performance in each match against the opposition.
Some big reputations were damaged, and several players hoping for lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
This was the second series sweep in home conditions endured by India in just more than a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 win which practically cost the hosts a spot in the WTC final.
The latest loss to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's chances of reaching the decider of this season also.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings before the series, India have been relegated to number five. Although nine additional matches are remaining, a majority are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a significant benefit - including against the strong Australian side. Yet the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's vulnerability in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. That said, why India have performed so poorly in Tests at home recently is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that helped spin and aided their squad, India brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an anomaly.
Now, the team seem easy pickings on home turf.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they curated to suit their strengths failed miserably, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that the Indian team is struggling at home because home surfaces have been altered from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to succeed in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which several international stars participate, has taken away the mystery and hardship home wickets would pose to them before.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for why the side's results at home have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complicated issue, not only a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted various flaws after India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, regular alterations of the team lineup, and emphasizing limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the squad.
Members like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - fell short in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but inadequately to win matches.
Management Questions
The analysis also included the entire setup - the selection panel and support staff were also under fire, driven by distraught fans and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
