The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, South Africa gave India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. This represented the Proteas' maiden series victory in the subcontinent in 25 years and the host nation's second defeat at home in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum gained during the previous half-year has all but vanished and the futures of multiple squad members - including head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The young team's impressive performance in England this summer, under a new captain, pointed to a smooth transition after the close together departures of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the home campaign enhanced that perception, until the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that leader Gill suffered an injury very early 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 the two games against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and several players hoping for lengthy Test careers were exposed as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the format.
Worrying Trend
It was the second clean sweep in home conditions experienced by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a staggering 3-0 triumph which effectively cost the hosts a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage the team's prospects of qualifying for the showpiece of this cycle as well.
After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have dropped to fifth place. Though nine additional matches are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a major plus - including against the powerful Australians. But the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason India have fared so badly in Test matches at home recently is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Currently, the team appear to be easy pickings at home.
Against the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they developed to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as the opposition used them more effectively, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to succeed abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has reduced the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would challenge them with in the past.
Although there is some truth in these views, it still does not explain why India's performances on home soil have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not only one or two factors.
Experts and participants have identified multiple deficiencies following the team's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, arrogance, frequent changes of the playing XI, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the showings of the side.
Cricketers such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - were found wanting in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Management Questions
The analysis targeted not only the cricketers - team selectors and support staff were also questioned, fuelled by distraught fans and critical former players. In the spotlight of the criticism was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
