India's unexpected 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recent Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, South Africa handed India a record Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. It was the Proteas' first series win in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory established in the last several months has almost disappeared and the futures of multiple squad members - as well as head mentor the coach - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Disappears
The emerging side's strong showing in England this season, under a new captain, suggested a smooth transition after the near-simultaneous exits of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the start of the home campaign boosted that belief, till the South Africans came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
India were a tad unfortunate that leader Gill suffered an injury early on in the initial match and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that does not excuse or justify the side of the well below standard performance in each match against the opposition.
Several established players suffered, and several players hoping for lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second clean sweep on home soil experienced by India in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 victory which practically cost the hosts a berth in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's prospects of making the showpiece of this cycle also.
After being third in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Though nine more Tests are yet to be played, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even against the mighty Aussies. But the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
India's weakness in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Tests at home in recent times is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an aberration.
Now, the team seem vulnerable on home turf.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas currently, India were beaten at their own game. The pitches they curated to favor their game failed miserably, as the opposition exploited them better, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering at home because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to do well abroad.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has reduced the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would present to them in the past.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it does not clarify why the side's results on home soil have experienced such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
Most former players diagnose a complicated issue, not just a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have identified various flaws following the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the displays of the side.
Members such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - fell short in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but inadequately to secure victories.
Management Questions
The analysis didn't spare the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, driven by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
