India's shocking 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, South Africa handed India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory gained during the past six months has largely dissipated and the careers of multiple squad members - including head mentor the coach - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this season, under a fresh leadership, indicated a smooth transition after the near-simultaneous departures of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the start of the domestic season strengthened that view, before the Proteas arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Shubman Gill got injured early on in the first Test and was ruled out in the contest. But that fails to account for the team of the highly disappointing display in each match against the opposition.
Some big reputations suffered, and a few members eyeing extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second whitewash in home conditions suffered by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had secured a surprising 3-0 win which essentially denied the hosts a spot in the WTC final.
The latest loss to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's prospects of reaching the final of this season as well.
After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to fifth place. Though nine additional matches are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. That said, why India have fared so badly in Tests on home soil lately is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against England, was considered an exception.
Now, the team seem vulnerable at home.
Versus the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas currently, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they prepared to suit their strengths failed miserably, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that India is failing in home conditions because home surfaces have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to perform better in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would present to them before.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it fails to account for why the team's showings at home have experienced such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted multiple deficiencies after India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, poor choices, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the squad.
Members such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - were found wanting in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not well enough to secure victories.
Management Questions
The review also included the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also criticized, fuelled by upset followers and critical former players. Under focus of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
