India's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, the visiting team gave India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It marked South Africa's maiden series victory in the subcontinent in 25 years and the host nation's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm gained during the past six months has almost disappeared and the prospects of a number of cricketers - including head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this season, under a fresh leadership, indicated a seamless changeover following the almost concurrent retirements of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over the Windies at the beginning of the home season boosted that belief, before the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill got injured quickly in the initial match and was ruled out in the series. But that fails to account for the squad of the highly disappointing performance in the two games against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and multiple individuals hoping for extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This represented the second series sweep on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a surprising 3-0 win which practically cost the hosts a place in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming the team's hopes of making the showpiece of this edition too.
From number three in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have dropped to number five. Even though nine more Tests are remaining, five of these are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even against the mighty Aussies. However the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
India's frailty in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Tests at home lately is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, India were seen as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an exception.
Today, India appear to be beatable on home turf.
Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they developed to help their style went wrong completely, as the opposition used them more effectively, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to train the squad to do well in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has removed the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would challenge them with before.
While there is some truth in these views, it still does not explain why India's performances at home have seen such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have highlighted several failings after the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, frequent changes of the team lineup, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the team.
Members like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - came up short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not well enough to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem didn't spare the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, spurred on by distraught fans and critical former players. Under focus of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
