India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, South Africa handed India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It marked South Africa's initial series triumph in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum gained during the last several months has almost disappeared and the futures of multiple squad members - along with head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Disappears
The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a successful handover after the almost concurrent retirements of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the commencement of the home campaign boosted that belief, until the South Africans arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
India were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill suffered an injury early on in the first Test and took no further part in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the highly disappointing showing in the two games against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and multiple individuals aspiring to long red-ball careers were exposed as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
This was the second series sweep at home experienced by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 win which essentially denied India a place in the WTC final.
The latest loss to South Africa threatens to derail India's prospects of qualifying for the final of this season also.
From number three in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have fallen to number five. Although nine further games are still to come, five of these are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a major plus - including against the mighty Aussies. But the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas leave little scope for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
India's weakness in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. However, why the team have struggled so much in Test matches at home lately is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an exception.
Currently, India look to be beatable in their own backyard.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they prepared to favor their game failed miserably, as the opposition used them more effectively, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that India is failing in home conditions because local wickets have been modified from turners to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to perform better abroad.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would present to them earlier.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for why India's performances at home have seen such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a few causes.
Critics and players have pointed to multiple deficiencies following the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the playing XI, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the side.
Players like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - were found wanting in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but inadequately to claim wins.
Management Questions
The review targeted just the players - the selection panel and backroom team were also under fire, spurred on by disappointed supporters and critical former players. At the centre of the examination was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
