India's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, the visiting team gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's second home series loss in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum built over the past six months has all but vanished and the futures of a number of cricketers - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Disappears
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a smooth transition following the close together retirements of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over West Indies at the start of the home campaign strengthened that view, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a fell blow.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that skipper Gill got injured early on in the opening Test and took no further part in the contest. Yet that does not excuse or justify the side of the highly disappointing display in both Tests against the opposition.
Several established players took a hit, and several players hoping for long red-ball careers were revealed to be not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Concerning History
It was the second clean sweep on home soil suffered by India in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had secured a surprising 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a berth in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to South Africa risks harming India's prospects of reaching the showpiece of this edition also.
From number three in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have dropped to the fifth spot. Though nine additional matches are remaining, a majority are against the Aussies. Typically, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even when facing the mighty Aussies. Yet the failures against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's vulnerability in Test cricket has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, why India have fared so badly in Tests at home in recent times is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as invincible in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that helped spin and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an exception.
Now, the team appear to be beatable in their own backyard.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The tracks they prepared to help their style failed miserably, as rivals used them more effectively, outplaying the home team's players when it mattered most.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is failing at home because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to succeed overseas.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which many overseas players play, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would challenge them with in the past.
Even though there is some truth in both analyses, it fails to account for why the team's showings on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have highlighted various flaws post India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and favoring limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the squad.
Members such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - fell short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but inadequately to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem also included just the players - the selection panel and backroom team were also questioned, driven by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
