India's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, South Africa inflicted upon India a record defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. This represented South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in 25 years and the host nation's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum established in the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the prospects of several players - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this season, under a new captain, suggested a successful handover following the almost concurrent retirements of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over the Windies at the commencement of the home season boosted that belief, till the Proteas arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that skipper Gill got injured quickly in the opening Test and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the terribly sub-par performance in each match against the opposition.
Several established players suffered, and several players aspiring to long red-ball careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second clean sweep on home soil endured by India in just more than a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a berth in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage India's chances of reaching the decider of this cycle too.
Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings before the series, India have dropped to fifth place. Even though nine more Tests are yet to be played, a majority are against Australia. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - including against the powerful Australians. Yet the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
India's vulnerability in the longer format has been badly exposed. That said, the reason India have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil in recent times is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as impregnable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against England, was considered an exception.
Currently, the team look to be beatable in their own backyard.
Facing New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they curated to help their style failed miserably, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is failing at home because domestic pitches have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to succeed overseas.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players participate, has reduced the mystery and hardship home wickets would challenge them with before.
While there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for the reason India's performances at home have seen such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a few causes.
Critics and players have pointed to various flaws following the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the team.
Players such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - fell short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem also included not only the cricketers - the selection panel and backroom team were also questioned, driven by disappointed supporters and critical former players. Under focus of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
