India's unexpected 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recent Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, South Africa inflicted upon India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It was South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory built over the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the careers of several players - along with head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Disappears
The new-look squad's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a seamless changeover following the near-simultaneous departures of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over the Windies at the start of the home season enhanced that perception, before the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the initial match and did not participate again in the contest. But that neither explains nor absolves the team of the well below standard showing in both Tests against the opposition.
Several established players suffered, and multiple individuals aspiring to long red-ball careers were shown as not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the format.
Worrying Trend
This was the second clean sweep on home soil endured by India in just more than a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 triumph which practically cost India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa threatens to derail the team's hopes of reaching the showpiece of this cycle too.
After being third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, India have been relegated to number five. Though nine further games are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even when facing the strong Australian side. But the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, the reason the team have struggled so much in Tests at home in recent times is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that assisted spinners and aided their squad, India brooked no opposition. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Currently, India look to be beatable at home.
Against the Kiwis in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they developed to help their style backfired spectacularly, as the opposition exploited them better, beating the home team's players when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to perform better overseas.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars play, has taken away the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would present to them earlier.
While there is validity in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the side's results at home have seen such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not only one or two factors.
Critics and players have highlighted multiple deficiencies post India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, arrogance, regular alterations of the playing XI, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.
This was clear in the displays of the squad.
Cricketers like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - fell short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their ability and standing - but inadequately to claim wins.
Management Questions
The review targeted the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also criticized, driven by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the examination was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
