India's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recent Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in 25 years and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum gained during the past six months has largely dissipated and the careers of multiple squad members - including head mentor the coach - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The new-look squad's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a smooth transition after the almost concurrent retirements of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the start of the home campaign boosted that belief, until the Proteas arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill was injured very early in the first Test and took no further part in the contest. But that fails to account for the squad of the highly disappointing showing in each match against South Africa.
Some big reputations took a hit, and multiple individuals aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second series sweep in home conditions experienced by India in just a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to South Africa threatens to derail India's hopes of reaching the showpiece of this season too.
After being third in the WTC table before the series, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Even though nine additional matches are remaining, half of these are against Australia. Usually, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
India's vulnerability in the longer format has been clearly revealed. However, why India have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil in recent times is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, India were considered unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, such as in 2012-13 against England, was considered an exception.
Currently, India appear to be vulnerable in their own backyard.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they developed to help their style failed miserably, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from spinning tracks to quick wickets to prepare players to succeed overseas.
A few mention that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would present to them in the past.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it does not clarify why India's performances at home have experienced such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have pointed to multiple deficiencies after the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and emphasizing white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the team.
Players such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - came up short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Management Questions
The post-mortem also included not only the cricketers - selectors and backroom team were also under fire, spurred on by distraught fans and vocal past stars. At the centre of the examination was head coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
