The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. This represented South Africa's first series win in India in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory gained during the past six months has almost disappeared and the futures of a number of cricketers - as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Disappears
The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a seamless changeover after the almost concurrent departures of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the start of the home season boosted that belief, until the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were somewhat unlucky that skipper Gill got injured early on in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. But that fails to account for the team of the terribly sub-par display in the two games against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and a few members hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second whitewash on home soil experienced by India in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had pulled off a surprising 3-0 win which essentially denied India a spot in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage India's chances of making the showpiece of this season also.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Although nine additional matches are remaining, five of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - including against the strong Australian side. However the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
India's weakness in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, the reason India have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil lately is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that helped spin and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an exception.
Now, India seem vulnerable at home.
Against the Kiwis in last year and South Africa currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they developed to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as opponents exploited them better, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that India is struggling in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to succeed in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would pose to them in the past.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it still does not explain why the side's results on home soil have seen such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have identified several failings following India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and prioritising white-ball over the longer format.
This was clear in the performances of the side.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - came up short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but inadequately to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem didn't spare not only the cricketers - team selectors and support staff were also under fire, fuelled by disappointed supporters and critical former players. In the spotlight of the criticism was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
