The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, the visiting team gave India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It marked the Proteas' first series win in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has largely dissipated and the prospects of several players - including head coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The emerging side's commendable display in England this summer, under a new captain, indicated a smooth transition following the near-simultaneous exits of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over the Windies at the start of the domestic season enhanced that perception, until the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill was injured quickly in the initial match and was ruled out in the series. However, that fails to account for the squad of the terribly sub-par display in each match against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and a few members eyeing extended tenures in Tests were shown as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second whitewash in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a berth in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas risks harming India's prospects of making the showpiece of this edition as well.
From number three in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, the side have been relegated to the fifth spot. Although nine additional matches are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even against the strong Australian side. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
India's weakness in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, why the team have performed so poorly in Tests at home lately is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an aberration.
Now, India appear to be easy pickings at home.
Versus the Kiwis in last year and South Africa currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they curated to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to do well in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players participate, has taken away the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would present to them in the past.
Although there is some truth in these views, it still does not explain why the side's results on home soil have seen such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not just one or two factors.
Experts and participants have highlighted various flaws following the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, poor choices, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the squad.
Members such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - fell short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not well enough to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The review targeted the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also under fire, fuelled by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
