India's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It was South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and the host nation's second home series loss in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm built over the past six months has almost disappeared and the futures of several players - as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a new captain, suggested a successful handover following the almost concurrent exits of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the start of the home season enhanced that perception, until the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.
The home side were a bit unlucky that leader Gill got injured very early in the initial match and took no further part in the contest. However, that fails to account for the side of the well below standard performance in the two games against the opposition.
Some big reputations suffered, and a few members aspiring to long red-ball careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second series sweep at home endured by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a remarkable 3-0 triumph which practically cost India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas threatens to derail India's hopes of making the showpiece of this edition also.
After being third in the WTC table prior to the contest, the side have dropped to the fifth spot. Even though nine additional matches are yet to be played, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a major plus - including against the powerful Australians. However the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
India's vulnerability in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, why India have struggled so much in Tests on home soil recently is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were regarded as impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that assisted spinners and aided their squad, India brooked no opposition. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an anomaly.
Currently, the team look to be beatable on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they developed to suit their strengths failed miserably, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Some suggest that India is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from turners to fast tracks to prepare players to succeed overseas.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would present to them before.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it still does not explain the reason the side's results at home have experienced such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not just one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have identified various flaws after India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the team.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - fell short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not well enough to claim wins.
Management Questions
The review targeted the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also under fire, driven by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
