India's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. It marked the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory gained during the past six months has almost disappeared and the futures of a number of cricketers - including head mentor the coach - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The emerging side's commendable display in the UK this season, under a new captain, suggested a successful handover following the near-simultaneous retirements of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the beginning of the domestic season boosted that belief, before the Proteas turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Gill was injured quickly in the opening Test and did not participate again in the contest. However, that fails to account for the team of the terribly sub-par performance in both Tests against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and several players eyeing lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second clean sweep in home conditions suffered by the Indian team in just more than a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had pulled off a surprising 3-0 triumph which practically cost India a spot in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas risks harming India's hopes of reaching the showpiece of this edition too.
Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to fifth place. Even though nine further games are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even against the strong Australian side. Yet the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's frailty in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home in recent times is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, India were seen as unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an exception.
Currently, the team seem beatable on home turf.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they prepared to suit their strengths failed miserably, as the opposition used them more effectively, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to perform better overseas.
A few mention that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has reduced the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would challenge them with before.
Even though there is some truth in each argument, it fails to account for the reason the side's results at home have experienced such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complicated issue, not limited to one or two factors.
Experts and participants have identified various flaws after the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, poor choices, arrogance, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and prioritising limited-overs over the longer format.
This was clear in the showings of the team.
Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - were found wanting in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Management Questions
The analysis targeted just the players - team selectors and backroom team were also criticized, fuelled by upset followers and vocal past stars. At the centre of the examination was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
