India's unexpected 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. It was South Africa's initial series triumph in India in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm established in the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the futures of multiple squad members - as well as head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Disappears
The new-look squad's commendable display in the UK this season, under a different skipper, suggested a seamless changeover following the close together exits of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over the Windies at the commencement of the domestic season strengthened that view, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a fell blow.
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. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the well below standard showing in each match against South Africa.
Several established players took a hit, and several players eyeing extended tenures in Tests were shown as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second clean sweep in home conditions experienced by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had achieved a remarkable 3-0 victory which effectively cost the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming the team's hopes of making the decider of this cycle too.
From number three in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have fallen to number five. Though nine further games are yet to be played, a majority are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a huge advantage - including against the mighty Aussies. However the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason the team have struggled so much in Tests on home soil in recent times is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that assisted spinners and aided their squad, India brooked no opposition. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an aberration.
Now, India look to be easy pickings at home.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they prepared to help their style backfired spectacularly, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because home surfaces have been altered from turners to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to do well abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would challenge them with earlier.
While there is validity in these views, it fails to account for the reason the side's results on home soil have seen such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a few causes.
Experts and participants have pointed to various flaws following India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, frequent changes of the team lineup, and favoring white-ball over Test cricket.
This was clear in the showings of the side.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - came up short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Management Questions
The analysis didn't spare not only the cricketers - selectors and backroom team were also under fire, spurred on by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
