India's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. This represented South Africa's initial series triumph in India in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum established in the past six months has almost disappeared and the prospects of multiple squad members - as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Disappears
The young team's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a successful handover after the almost concurrent exits of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the start of the home season enhanced that perception, until the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
India were somewhat unlucky that captain Shubman Gill was injured early on in the opening Test and was ruled out in the contest. However, that does not excuse or justify the squad of the terribly sub-par performance in each match against South Africa.
Some big reputations took a hit, and a few members hoping for lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the format.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second series sweep on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had pulled off a staggering 3-0 win which effectively cost the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to South Africa risks harming the team's chances of qualifying for the showpiece of this edition too.
After being third in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, the side have dropped to fifth place. Although nine more Tests are still to come, a majority are against Australia. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even when facing the strong Australian side. However the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
India's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason India have performed so poorly in Test matches at home lately is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an aberration.
Now, the team appear to be beatable at home.
Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they curated to favor their game failed miserably, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that India is floundering at home because domestic pitches have been modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to perform better abroad.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would pose to them before.
Even though there is some truth in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason India's performances on home soil have experienced such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
Most former players point to a multi-faceted challenge, not only one or two factors.
Critics and players have pointed to several failings post India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the squad.
Members such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - fell short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, driven by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the criticism was team coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press