India's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, South Africa gave India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. It marked the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in 25 years and the host nation's second defeat at home in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory gained during the past six months has almost disappeared and the prospects of several players - along with head mentor Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a new captain, indicated a successful handover post the almost concurrent departures of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over the Windies at the start of the domestic season strengthened that view, until the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.
The home side were a bit unlucky that leader Gill got injured quickly in the initial match and was ruled out in the series. But that fails to account for the squad of the well below standard performance in both Tests against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and a few members hoping for lengthy Test careers were shown as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This was the second series sweep at home suffered by India in just over a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had pulled off a surprising 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas threatens to derail India's hopes of reaching the decider of this cycle as well.
From number three in the WTC rankings before the series, India have dropped to the fifth spot. Even though nine more Tests are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Usually, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - including against the mighty Aussies. However the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
India's weakness in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil in recent times is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as invincible in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an exception.
Currently, India appear to be beatable in their own backyard.
Versus New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they curated to suit their strengths failed miserably, as opponents exploited them better, beating the home team's players when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that India is struggling in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to perform better in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has removed the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would challenge them with in the past.
Even though there is validity in these views, it fails to account for the reason the side's results at home have experienced such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not only one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to various flaws following India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the side.
Members like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - fell short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not well enough to secure victories.
Management Questions
The analysis also included the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also questioned, driven by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the examination was mentor Gambhir.
During his post-series press
