India's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, South Africa handed India a record defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum built over the last several months has almost disappeared and the careers of a number of cricketers - including head mentor Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Disappears
The new-look squad's strong showing in England this summer, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a seamless changeover following the close together departures of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the domestic season enhanced that perception, until the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill got injured early on in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the side of the well below standard performance in both Tests against the opposition.
Several established players suffered, and several players aspiring to lengthy Test careers were exposed as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the format.
Worrying Trend
This was the second series sweep at home suffered by India in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had pulled off a surprising 3-0 triumph which effectively cost the hosts a place in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's chances of reaching the decider of this edition also.
From number three in the WTC table before the series, India have been relegated to number five. Although nine further games are yet to be played, a majority are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even against the powerful Australians. Yet the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
India's weakness in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, the reason the team have fared so badly in Tests at home lately is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an exception.
Currently, the team appear to be easy pickings at home.
Facing the Kiwis in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they developed to favor their game went wrong completely, as opponents exploited them better, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that India is struggling at home because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to perform better overseas.
A few mention that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has taken away the surprise and difficulty home wickets would challenge them with in the past.
Even though there is some truth in each argument, it does not clarify the reason the team's showings on home soil have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a few causes.
Critics and players have pointed to multiple deficiencies following India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the team lineup, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the side.
Members such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - came up short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not well enough to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, driven by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the criticism was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
