India's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, South Africa inflicted upon India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It was the Proteas' first series win in India in a quarter-century and India's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory established in the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the careers of multiple squad members - along with head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Disappears
The new-look squad's commendable display in England this summer, under a new captain, pointed to a smooth transition after the close together retirements of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the home season boosted that belief, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that leader Shubman Gill was injured early on in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. However, that fails to account for the side of the highly disappointing display in each match against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and multiple individuals hoping for long red-ball careers were shown as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Concerning History
It was the second clean sweep in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 win which practically cost India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa could damage India's prospects of making the showpiece of this edition too.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table prior to the contest, India have fallen to number five. Although nine more Tests are remaining, a majority are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a major plus - even when facing the strong Australian side. But the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's weakness in the longer format has been clearly revealed. That said, why the team have fared so badly in Tests on home soil recently is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, India were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an anomaly.
Currently, the team appear to be vulnerable on home turf.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they developed to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as the opposition exploited them better, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is failing at home because home surfaces have been modified from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to perform better in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the IPL, in which several international stars play, has removed the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would challenge them with earlier.
While there is validity in both analyses, it still does not explain why the side's results on home soil have seen such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to one or two factors.
Experts and participants have identified several failings after the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, arrogance, frequent changes of the playing XI, and emphasizing white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the performances of the team.
Cricketers such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - fell short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also under fire, driven by upset followers and critical former players. Under focus of the scrutiny was mentor Gambhir.
At his post-series press
