India's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recent Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, the visiting team handed India a record defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It marked South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum built over the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the futures of a number of cricketers - as well as head coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a new captain, suggested a seamless changeover post the near-simultaneous exits of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the home campaign boosted that belief, until the South Africans arrived to deliver a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that leader Gill suffered an injury quickly in the opening Test and was ruled out in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the side of the highly disappointing showing in each match against South Africa.
Several established players suffered, and several players eyeing extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not up to the mark - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second clean sweep at home endured by India in just more than a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had achieved a remarkable 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage the team's prospects of qualifying for the showpiece of this edition too.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings before the series, India have dropped to the fifth spot. Though nine more Tests are remaining, five of these are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - including against the powerful Australians. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil lately is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that helped spin and benefited their players, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an anomaly.
Currently, the team look to be easy pickings on home turf.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to suit their strengths failed miserably, as opponents used them more effectively, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to succeed abroad.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has removed the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would challenge them with in the past.
While there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it fails to account for why the side's results at home have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to various flaws following the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, poor choices, overconfidence, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the side.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - fell short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not well enough to secure victories.
Management Questions
The review also included just the players - the selection panel and coaching staff were also questioned, driven by distraught fans and vocal past stars. Under focus of the examination was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
