India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum established in the past six months has all but vanished and the futures of multiple squad members - including team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Disappears
The new-look squad's commendable display in England this season, under a new captain, pointed to a smooth transition post the almost concurrent exits of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the beginning of the home season enhanced that perception, till the Proteas arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury quickly in the opening Test and was ruled out in the series. But that fails to account for the team of the well below standard display in the two games against the opposition.
Some big reputations took a hit, and a few members aspiring to long red-ball careers were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second series sweep in home conditions endured by India in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a remarkable 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a place in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage India's prospects of reaching the final of this cycle too.
After being third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, the side have been relegated to fifth place. Although nine additional matches are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even against the powerful Australians. Yet the failures against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
India's vulnerability in the longer format has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why the team have struggled so much in Test matches at home in recent times is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, India were seen as unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an aberration.
Today, India appear to be beatable on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in last year and South Africa this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they curated to help their style failed miserably, as opponents exploited them better, surpassing the home team's players when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from spinning tracks to fast tracks to prepare players to do well abroad.
A few mention that the IPL, in which many overseas players participate, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would pose to them before.
While there is some truth in these views, it does not clarify the reason the team's showings at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars identify a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a few causes.
Critics and players have pointed to several failings post India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, overconfidence, regular alterations of the team lineup, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the showings of the team.
Players such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - fell short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to claim wins.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - team selectors and backroom team were also under fire, driven by distraught fans and critical former players. At the centre of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
