India's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recent Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, South Africa gave India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. This represented the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and the host nation's second home series loss in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum established in the last several months has all but vanished and the prospects of multiple squad members - including team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Disappears
The young team's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a seamless changeover following the almost concurrent exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over the Windies at the commencement of the home campaign strengthened that view, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Shubman Gill suffered an injury quickly in the first Test and took no further part in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the side of the well below standard showing in the two games against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and several players eyeing extended tenures in Tests were shown as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the format.
Worrying Trend
This was the second clean sweep in home conditions experienced by India in just over a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 victory which practically cost India a berth in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to South Africa risks harming the team's chances of making the showpiece of this season also.
After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have dropped to fifth place. Although nine more Tests are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home in recent times is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an exception.
Today, India look to be vulnerable in their own backyard.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the home team's players when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is floundering at home because home surfaces have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to do well in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players play, has reduced the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would challenge them with before.
Even though there is some truth in both analyses, it still does not explain why the team's showings on home soil have experienced such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players identify a complicated issue, not just a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have identified various flaws following India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and prioritising limited-overs over the longer format.
This was clear in the performances of the side.
Members such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - fell short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Management Questions
The analysis also included not only the cricketers - the selection panel and support staff were also questioned, spurred on by distraught fans and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the examination was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
