India's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It marked South Africa's first series win in India in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory built over the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the prospects of multiple squad members - as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The young team's impressive performance in England this season, under a new captain, indicated a seamless changeover following the near-simultaneous departures of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the home season enhanced that perception, until the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the opening Test and took no further part in the contest. But that does not excuse or justify the team of the terribly sub-par performance in both Tests against South Africa.
Some big reputations took a hit, and a few members aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
It was the second whitewash at home suffered by India in just a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had secured a surprising 3-0 win which essentially denied India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to South Africa risks harming India's prospects of qualifying for the final of this cycle as well.
Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings before the series, India have dropped to fifth place. Even though nine additional matches are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even against the strong Australian side. However the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
India's frailty in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. That said, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home in recent times 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 pitches that helped spin and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an aberration.
Now, India appear to be beatable at home.
Facing New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, India were beaten at their own game. The pitches they prepared to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as the opposition exploited them better, beating the home team's players when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from turners to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to do well abroad.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars play, has taken away the mystery and hardship home wickets would challenge them with earlier.
While there is some truth in each argument, it still does not explain why the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have identified multiple deficiencies following India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the squad.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - fell short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Management Questions
The review targeted the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also under fire, driven by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
