India's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, the visiting team handed India a record Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. This represented the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum gained during the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the futures of multiple squad members - including head coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The emerging side's strong showing in England this summer, under a new captain, pointed to a seamless changeover post the close together departures of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over the Windies at the start of the home campaign strengthened that view, before the South Africans arrived to deliver a fell blow.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill got injured early on in the first Test and took no further part in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the terribly sub-par performance in each match against South Africa.
Some big reputations were damaged, and a few members hoping for lengthy Test careers were shown as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second whitewash on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had secured a remarkable 3-0 victory which effectively cost the hosts a place in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage the team's prospects of qualifying for the final of this season as well.
After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to fifth place. Though nine additional matches are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even against the strong Australian side. However the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's weakness in the longer format has been clearly revealed. However, the reason India have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil in recent times is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that assisted spinners and benefited their players, India faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an exception.
Now, the team seem beatable at home.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they developed to suit their strengths failed miserably, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to succeed overseas.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has taken away the surprise and difficulty home wickets would present to them before.
While there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for why the side's results at home have seen such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players identify a complicated issue, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have pointed to various flaws post the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, poor choices, arrogance, frequent changes of the playing XI, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the side.
Members such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - fell short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but inadequately to secure victories.
Management Questions
The post-mortem also included not only the cricketers - team selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, spurred on by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the criticism was mentor Gambhir.
At his post-series press
