India's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and the host nation's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory built over the past six months has all but vanished and the careers of a number of cricketers - as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The young team's commendable display in England this season, under a fresh leadership, indicated a successful handover following the near-simultaneous departures of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the start of the home campaign strengthened that view, before the South Africans arrived to deliver a fell blow.
India were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill was injured early on in the initial match and did not participate again in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par performance in both Tests against South Africa.
Some big reputations were damaged, and several players hoping for long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
It was the second series sweep on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had secured a surprising 3-0 win which essentially denied India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming the team's chances of making the final of this edition also.
After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to number five. Though nine further games are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even against the strong Australian side. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
India's vulnerability in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Tests at home in recent times is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an exception.
Currently, the team seem vulnerable in their own backyard.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the home team's players when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that India is failing at home because domestic pitches have been modified from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to do well overseas.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars play, has reduced the surprise and difficulty home wickets would pose to them in the past.
Even though there is some truth in both analyses, it does not clarify the reason India's performances at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have highlighted several failings post India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was evident in the displays of the side.
Members such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - were found wanting in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The analysis targeted the entire setup - selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, spurred on by distraught fans and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was head coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
