India's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, South Africa inflicted upon India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum built over the past six months has all but vanished and the careers of a number of cricketers - including head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Disappears
The new-look squad's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a new captain, suggested a smooth transition after the almost concurrent exits of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over West Indies at the start of the domestic season boosted that belief, till the Proteas turned up and handed out a fell blow.
The home side were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill suffered an injury quickly in the first Test and took no further part in the series. But that fails to account for the squad of the terribly sub-par performance in both Tests against the opposition.
Some big reputations took a hit, and several players aspiring to long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
It was the second clean sweep at home experienced by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a place in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage India's chances of reaching the showpiece of this cycle too.
After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have dropped to the fifth spot. Although nine more Tests are still to come, a majority are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even when facing the strong Australian side. But the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
India's frailty in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. However, why the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home lately is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, India were seen as unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on pitches that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an exception.
Now, India seem beatable at home.
Versus New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, India were beaten at their own game. The tracks they curated to suit their strengths failed miserably, as rivals used them more effectively, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that India is failing at home because domestic pitches have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to perform better in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars play, has reduced the surprise and difficulty home wickets would present to them before.
While there is validity in both analyses, it does not clarify the reason the team's showings at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players identify a multi-faceted challenge, not only a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to various flaws following India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and prioritising limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the team.
Members such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - were found wanting in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not well enough to secure victories.
Coaching Scrutiny
The review also included not only the cricketers - selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, spurred on by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the criticism was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
