India's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, South Africa gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. It was South Africa's maiden series victory in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory gained during the past six months has largely dissipated and the futures of multiple squad members - along with head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Disappears
The new-look squad's commendable display in England this season, under a different skipper, suggested a smooth transition following the almost concurrent departures of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over West Indies at the commencement of the home season enhanced that perception, before the South Africans turned up and handed out a fell blow.
India were somewhat unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the opening Test and did not participate again in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the side of the well below standard display in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and multiple individuals eyeing lengthy Test careers were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second clean sweep at home suffered by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had secured a surprising 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a place in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming the team's prospects of reaching the final of this season also.
After being third in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have been relegated to fifth place. Even though nine additional matches are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Typically, playing at home would be a significant benefit - including against the powerful Australians. Yet the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas leave little scope for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, why India have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil recently is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that assisted spinners and benefited their players, India brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an aberration.
Currently, India appear to be vulnerable at home.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they prepared to help their style failed miserably, as rivals exploited them better, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is floundering at home because home surfaces have been altered from spinning tracks to quick wickets to prepare players to perform better in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which several international stars take part, has reduced the mystery and hardship home wickets would challenge them with earlier.
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 sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complicated issue, not only a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies after India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the team.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - were found wanting in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis targeted just the players - team selectors and backroom team were also criticized, driven by upset followers and critical former players. Under focus of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
