India's unexpected 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. This represented the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in 25 years and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum built over the last several months has almost disappeared and the prospects of multiple squad members - including head coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Disappears
The young team's commendable display in England this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a smooth transition after the near-simultaneous retirements of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign boosted that belief, until the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were somewhat unlucky that captain Gill got injured quickly in the opening Test and was ruled out in the contest. But that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing showing in each match against the opposition.
Some big reputations were damaged, and multiple individuals hoping for lengthy Test careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
This was the second series sweep in home conditions suffered by India in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a berth in the WTC final.
The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming India's prospects of reaching the decider of this cycle as well.
From number three in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have dropped to number five. Although nine additional matches are yet to be played, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even against the powerful Australians. But the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's vulnerability in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, why the team have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil recently is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an aberration.
Currently, India appear to be easy pickings at home.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to help their style backfired spectacularly, as the opposition used them more effectively, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to quick wickets to train the squad to do well abroad.
Some point out that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has removed the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would challenge them with in the past.
Although there is some truth in each argument, it fails to account for why the team's showings on home soil have seen such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players identify a multi-faceted challenge, not just a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have pointed to various flaws post the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.
This was obvious in the displays of the squad.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - fell short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not well enough to secure victories.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - team selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, driven by disappointed supporters and critical former players. Under focus of the examination was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
