India's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, South Africa inflicted upon India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. This represented the Proteas' first series win in India in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum gained during the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the prospects of a number of cricketers - including head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Disappears
The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a successful handover after the near-simultaneous retirements of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over the Windies at the beginning of the home campaign enhanced that perception, before the Proteas arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
India were a tad unfortunate that captain Gill suffered an injury quickly in the opening Test and did not participate again in the series. But that fails to account for the side of the well below standard performance in both Tests against the opposition.
Some big reputations suffered, and multiple individuals hoping for long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Concerning History
It was the second series sweep at home suffered by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 triumph which essentially denied the hosts a spot in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage the team's prospects of reaching the decider of this season too.
From number three in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have dropped to number five. Even though nine further games are yet to be played, five of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even against the mighty Aussies. But the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, why the team have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil lately is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on surfaces that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an exception.
Currently, the team look to be beatable at home.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as opponents used them more effectively, beating the home team's players when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that the Indian team is failing at home because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to do well abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players participate, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would present to them before.
While there is some truth in both analyses, it still does not explain why the team's showings on home soil have seen such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not only one or two factors.
Critics and players have pointed to several failings after India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the side.
Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - fell short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not well enough to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem didn't spare the entire setup - selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, spurred on by upset followers and critical former players. At the centre of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
