The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, South Africa gave India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It was South Africa's first series win in India in a quarter-century and India's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum established in the past six months has largely dissipated and the careers of multiple squad members - along with head coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Disappears
The new-look squad's strong showing in England this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a successful handover following the close together departures of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over the Windies at the start of the home campaign enhanced that perception, until the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
India were somewhat unlucky that captain Gill got injured quickly in the first Test and did not participate again in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the highly disappointing showing in the two games against the opposition.
Some big reputations took a hit, and multiple individuals aspiring to long red-ball careers were shown as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second whitewash in home conditions endured by India in just over a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a remarkable 3-0 triumph which practically cost India a spot in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to South Africa threatens to derail India's hopes of making the showpiece of this season also.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to number five. Though nine further games are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even against the mighty Aussies. But the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
India's weakness in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, the reason India have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil in recent times is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an aberration.
Currently, the team look to be easy pickings on home turf.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they prepared to help their style went wrong completely, as opponents exploited them better, beating the home team's players when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that the Indian team is struggling at home because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to succeed abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has reduced the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would present to them in the past.
While there is validity in both analyses, it does not clarify the reason the team's showings at home have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars point to a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to various flaws post the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over Test cricket.
This was clear in the showings of the team.
Players such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - came up short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not well enough to claim wins.
Management Questions
The analysis targeted not only the cricketers - selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, driven by disappointed supporters and critical former players. At the centre of the examination was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press