India's shocking 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. This represented South Africa's initial series triumph in India in 25 years and India's another home failure in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory gained during the previous half-year has all but vanished and the careers of a number of cricketers - as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a new captain, suggested a successful handover post the close together departures of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the start of the home season enhanced that perception, before the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.
India were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill was injured very early in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. Yet that fails to account for the squad of the well below standard performance in the two games against South Africa.
Several established players took a hit, and a few members hoping for extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second whitewash at home endured by India in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had pulled off a surprising 3-0 victory which practically cost the hosts a place in the WTC final.
The latest loss to South Africa risks harming India's chances of qualifying for the decider of this cycle also.
After being third in the WTC table prior to the contest, the side have been relegated to fifth place. Though nine more Tests are yet to be played, five of these are against Australia. Typically, playing at home would be a huge advantage - including against the powerful Australians. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas leave little scope for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. However, why India have performed so poorly in Tests at home lately is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that assisted spinners and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an anomaly.
Currently, India look to be beatable at home.
Against New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as the opposition used them more effectively, outplaying the home team's players when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is failing in home conditions because home surfaces have been changed from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to perform better abroad.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars play, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would pose to them earlier.
While there is validity in these views, it does not clarify why the side's results at home have seen such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complicated issue, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have identified multiple deficiencies post India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the team.
Players such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - came up short in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not well enough to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - selectors and backroom team were also questioned, driven by upset followers and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
