India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. This represented the Proteas' maiden series victory in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and the host nation's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum built over the past six months has almost disappeared and the prospects of multiple squad members - along with head mentor the coach - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Disappears
The new-look squad's strong showing in England this summer, under a fresh leadership, indicated a smooth transition post the almost concurrent departures of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over West Indies at the start of the domestic season boosted that belief, till the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill got injured quickly in the first Test and took no further part in the contest. However, that fails to account for the team of the terribly sub-par display in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players took a hit, and multiple individuals hoping for lengthy Test careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Concerning History
It was the second clean sweep at home suffered by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a remarkable 3-0 triumph which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's prospects of making the showpiece of this cycle as well.
From number three in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have fallen to number five. Even though nine additional matches are yet to be played, a majority are against Australia. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even against the mighty Aussies. But the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's weakness in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, why the team have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil recently is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, India were regarded as impregnable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an exception.
Now, the team look to be vulnerable on home turf.
Facing New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they prepared to favor their game failed miserably, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that the Indian team is failing at home because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to perform better abroad.
Some point out that the IPL, in which many overseas players take part, has removed the mystery and hardship home wickets would challenge them with before.
Even though there is validity in each argument, it fails to account for why the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars diagnose a complicated issue, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have identified various flaws after India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the squad.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - fell short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Management Questions
The analysis targeted the entire setup - the selection panel and support staff were also questioned, driven by upset followers and critical former players. In the spotlight of the criticism was mentor Gambhir.
In his post-series press
