India's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, South Africa handed India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. This represented South Africa's maiden series victory in India in 25 years and the host nation's second home series loss in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum built over the last several months has almost disappeared and the prospects of multiple squad members - as well as head coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Disappears
The emerging side's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a different skipper, indicated a smooth transition post the almost concurrent exits of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over the Windies at the start of the home campaign boosted that belief, till the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill was injured very early in the initial match and did not participate again in the contest. But that fails to account for the squad of the well below standard performance in both Tests against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and multiple individuals aspiring to lengthy Test careers were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second clean sweep in home conditions endured by India in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a surprising 3-0 triumph which effectively cost India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage India's prospects of making the final of this season as well.
After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to number five. Although nine further games are yet to be played, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even against the strong Australian side. Yet the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason India have fared so badly in Test matches at home recently is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, India were seen as invincible in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an anomaly.
Currently, India seem easy pickings on home turf.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as the opposition exploited them better, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that India is floundering at home because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to do well abroad.
A few mention that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would challenge them with earlier.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for why India's performances at home have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
Most former players point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to multiple deficiencies following the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and favoring limited-overs over the longer format.
This was evident in the displays of the team.
Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - were found wanting in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to secure victories.
Management Questions
The review also included the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also criticized, spurred on by distraught fans and vocal past stars. At the centre of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
