India's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, South Africa handed India a record loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It marked South Africa's first series win in India in 25 years and the host nation's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory built over the last several months has almost disappeared and the prospects of several players - as well as team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this season, under a new captain, pointed to a smooth transition after the near-simultaneous retirements of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign strengthened that view, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
India were somewhat unlucky that leader Shubman Gill got injured very early in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. But that does not excuse or justify the side of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against the opposition.
Several established players suffered, and multiple individuals aspiring to lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second clean sweep at home experienced by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had achieved a remarkable 3-0 triumph which practically cost India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa threatens to derail the team's hopes of qualifying for the final of this season too.
From number three in the WTC table prior to the contest, India have dropped to fifth place. Though nine more Tests are yet to be played, five of these are against the Aussies. Typically, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - including against the strong Australian side. But the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. That said, why the team have struggled so much in Tests at home recently is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on pitches that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an anomaly.
Now, the team appear to be easy pickings on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The pitches they prepared to help their style failed miserably, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the home team's players when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to quick wickets to train the squad to perform better overseas.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has removed the surprise and difficulty home wickets would present to them before.
Although there is some truth in each argument, it still does not explain the reason the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a multi-faceted challenge, not only a few causes.
Critics and players have pointed to various flaws following India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, frequent changes of the playing XI, and favoring limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the team.
Players like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - came up short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem didn't spare not only the cricketers - selectors and backroom team were also under fire, driven by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the criticism was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
