India's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, the visiting team handed India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. This represented South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and the host nation's second home series loss in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory built over the previous half-year has all but vanished and the careers of a number of cricketers - including head mentor the coach - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this summer, under a new captain, suggested a successful handover following the near-simultaneous retirements of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the home campaign strengthened that view, before the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Gill got injured very early in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against the opposition.
Several established players were damaged, and multiple individuals hoping for lengthy Test careers were exposed as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the format.
Worrying Trend
This was the second series sweep on home soil experienced by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a remarkable 3-0 win which effectively cost India a spot in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to South Africa risks harming the team's hopes of reaching the final of this season too.
After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to number five. Although nine more Tests are yet to be played, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even when facing the mighty Aussies. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's weakness in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. However, why India have struggled so much in Tests at home lately is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an aberration.
Today, the team appear to be beatable on home turf.
Facing New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they prepared to help their style failed miserably, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is floundering in home conditions because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to succeed overseas.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has taken away the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would challenge them with before.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings at home have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
Most former players point to a multi-faceted challenge, not only a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have pointed to several failings post the team's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, regular alterations of the playing XI, and favoring white-ball over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the team.
Cricketers like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - fell short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis didn't spare not only the cricketers - team selectors and support staff were also under fire, driven by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
