India's shocking 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, South Africa handed India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum gained during the last several months has largely dissipated and the futures of several players - along with head mentor the coach - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The young team's impressive performance in England this season, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a seamless changeover post the almost concurrent retirements of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over West Indies at the commencement of the home campaign enhanced that perception, before the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill was injured early on in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing performance in both Tests against the opposition.
Some big reputations took a hit, and a few members eyeing extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second clean sweep in home conditions suffered by India in just over a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 victory which practically cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa could damage the team's hopes of making the decider of this edition too.
From number three in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have dropped to number five. Even though nine additional matches are remaining, five of these are against the Aussies. Usually, playing at home would be a major plus - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's vulnerability in Test cricket has been badly exposed. However, why India have fared so badly in Tests on home soil recently is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Now, the team seem easy pickings in their own backyard.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The tracks they curated to suit their strengths failed miserably, as rivals exploited them better, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from turners to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to do well in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would pose to them before.
Even though there is validity in each argument, it fails to account for the reason India's performances at home have seen such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complicated issue, not just a few causes.
Critics and players have identified various flaws following the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, frequent changes of the team lineup, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the team.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - fell short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem didn't spare the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, driven by upset followers and critical former players. In the spotlight of the examination was head coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press