India's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, the visiting team handed India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It marked the Proteas' first series win in India in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum built over the last several months has largely dissipated and the prospects of several players - along with team coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Disappears
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a new captain, pointed to a successful handover following the near-simultaneous exits of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the beginning of the home season boosted that belief, till the Proteas arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Gill was injured quickly in the first Test and was ruled out in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the highly disappointing showing in both Tests against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and several players aspiring to lengthy Test careers were shown as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
It was the second clean sweep in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a spot in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to South Africa risks harming the team's hopes of reaching the final of this edition too.
After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have dropped to the fifth spot. Although nine further games are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even against the mighty Aussies. Yet the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's frailty in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason India have fared so badly in Test matches at home lately is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an anomaly.
Today, India look to be beatable in their own backyard.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they developed to help their style failed miserably, as the opposition used them more effectively, beating the home team's players when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that India is failing at home because home surfaces have been modified from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to perform better abroad.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has removed the surprise and difficulty home wickets would present to them before.
While there is some truth in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the team's showings at home have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complicated issue, not just a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted multiple deficiencies after India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the side.
Players such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - fell short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not well enough to secure victories.
Coaching Scrutiny
The analysis didn't spare not only the cricketers - team selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, fuelled by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the examination was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
