India's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. This represented South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has largely dissipated and the futures of multiple squad members - along with team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a successful handover post the close together exits of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over the Windies at the beginning of the home campaign strengthened that view, until the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Gill was injured early on in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. However, that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par display in both Tests against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and several players aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second clean sweep on home soil endured by India in just a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a staggering 3-0 win which essentially denied India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to South Africa threatens to derail the team's prospects of making the showpiece of this edition too.
After being third in the WTC table before the series, India have been relegated to number five. Though nine additional matches are still to come, a majority are against Australia. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - including against the powerful Australians. But the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, the reason India have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil recently is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were considered invincible in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an aberration.
Now, the team look to be beatable in their own backyard.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they prepared to help their style went wrong completely, as the opposition used them more effectively, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that India is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been changed from spinning tracks to fast tracks to train the squad to succeed in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would present to them earlier.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it fails to account for the reason the team's showings at home have experienced such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players point to a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to one or two factors.
Experts and participants have highlighted several failings after India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the team lineup, and prioritising white-ball over Test cricket.
This was clear in the performances of the side.
Players such as 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 spot in the side - fell short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not well enough to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis didn't spare just the players - team selectors and backroom team were also questioned, spurred on by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. At the centre of the examination was head coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
