India's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It marked South Africa's initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and India's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory gained during the past six months has largely dissipated and the futures of multiple squad members - along with team coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The emerging side's strong showing in England this summer, under a fresh leadership, indicated a seamless changeover post the close together exits of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign boosted that belief, before the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that skipper Shubman Gill got injured early on in the initial match and did not participate again in the series. Yet that fails to account for the squad of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against South Africa.
Some big reputations took a hit, and a few members hoping for long red-ball careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the format.
Concerning History
It was the second series sweep in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 win which essentially denied India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage the team's prospects of qualifying for the showpiece of this season also.
After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, India have fallen to the fifth spot. Though nine additional matches are still to come, a majority are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even when facing the strong Australian side. But the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas leave little scope for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
India's frailty in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, why the team have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil in recent times is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an exception.
Now, India seem vulnerable at home.
Versus New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they prepared to favor their game went wrong completely, as rivals used them more effectively, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is failing at home because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to succeed overseas.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players play, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would challenge them with earlier.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the side's results on home soil have experienced such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars diagnose a complicated issue, not just a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have highlighted various flaws post the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the team lineup, and favoring white-ball over the longer format.
This was clear in the performances of the team.
Players such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - came up short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem didn't spare the entire setup - selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, fuelled by disappointed supporters and critical former players. Under focus of the scrutiny was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
