India's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, the visiting team inflicted upon India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. 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 positive trajectory gained during the past six months has largely dissipated and the prospects of multiple squad members - including head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Disappears
The new-look squad's strong showing in England this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a successful handover following the near-simultaneous exits of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season boosted that belief, till the Proteas turned up and handed out a fell blow.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Gill suffered an injury early on in the opening Test and did not participate again in the series. Yet that fails to account for the team of the well below standard showing in the two games against the opposition.
Several established players were damaged, and multiple individuals eyeing extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second whitewash at home experienced by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had secured a surprising 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa could damage the team's prospects of qualifying for the decider of this cycle too.
After being third in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have dropped to number five. Although nine further games are remaining, a majority are against Australia. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - including against the mighty Aussies. But the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
India's frailty in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why the team have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil lately is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on pitches that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an aberration.
Today, India appear to be beatable on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they developed to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that India is struggling at home because local wickets have been modified from turners to quick wickets to prepare players to perform better in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has removed the mystery and hardship home wickets would challenge them with before.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it does not clarify why India's performances on home soil have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have identified various flaws post the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was clear in the showings of the squad.
Players like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - were found wanting in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - team selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, fuelled by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the examination was head coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
