India's unexpected 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, the visiting team handed India a record Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. It marked the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in 25 years and the host nation's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory built over the previous half-year has all but vanished and the prospects of multiple squad members - along with head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a successful handover following the close together retirements of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the beginning of the home season strengthened that view, before the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Gill was injured early on in the opening Test and took no further part in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the terribly sub-par display in the two games against South Africa.
Some big reputations were damaged, and several players aspiring to lengthy Test careers were exposed as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the format.
Concerning History
It was the second clean sweep on home soil endured by India in just over a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a remarkable 3-0 win which essentially denied India a spot in the WTC final.
The latest loss to South Africa threatens to derail India's chances of making the decider of this edition as well.
From number three in the WTC rankings before the series, India have dropped to fifth place. Although nine additional matches are yet to be played, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even when facing the mighty Aussies. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
India's frailty in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, why the team have struggled so much in Tests at home in recent times is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against England, was considered an exception.
Today, India appear to be beatable on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they curated to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as rivals used them more effectively, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to fast tracks to prepare players to do well in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would present to them before.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it fails to account for the reason the side's results at home have seen such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
Most former players identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted various flaws after India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.
This was evident in the displays of the side.
Members like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - were found wanting in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis also included the entire setup - the selection panel and coaching staff were also questioned, fuelled by upset followers and critical former players. Under focus of the criticism was mentor Gambhir.
During his post-series press