India's unexpected 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recent Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, South Africa handed India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. This represented South Africa's initial series triumph in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory established in the past six months has almost disappeared and the futures of multiple squad members - along with head coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The emerging side's impressive performance in England this season, under a fresh leadership, indicated a smooth transition after the near-simultaneous retirements of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the start of the home season enhanced that perception, before the South Africans arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill got injured early on in the initial match and did not participate again in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and multiple individuals eyeing lengthy Test careers were exposed as not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
It was the second whitewash in home conditions experienced by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 victory which practically cost the hosts a spot in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas could damage India's prospects of making the showpiece of this edition too.
From number three in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, India have fallen to the fifth spot. Even though nine additional matches are still to come, a majority are against Australia. Usually, playing at home would be a huge advantage - including against the powerful Australians. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
India's vulnerability in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, why the team have fared so badly in Tests on home soil recently is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on surfaces that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an exception.
Now, India appear to be vulnerable on home turf.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they curated to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is failing at home because local wickets have been modified from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to succeed overseas.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars play, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would present to them in the past.
Even though there is validity in both analyses, it still does not explain why the side's results at home have seen such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not only one or two factors.
Experts and participants have highlighted multiple deficiencies post the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the playing XI, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was clear in the performances of the squad.
Players such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - were found wanting in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not well enough to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis also included not only the cricketers - the selection panel and backroom team were also criticized, fuelled by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the examination was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
