India's surprising 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, South Africa inflicted upon India a record defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It marked South Africa's maiden series victory in the subcontinent in 25 years and the host nation's second home series loss in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum established in the last several months has all but vanished and the careers of multiple squad members - along with head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The young team's strong showing in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, suggested a successful handover after the near-simultaneous departures of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the home campaign boosted that belief, till the South Africans came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that skipper Gill suffered an injury quickly in the first Test and took no further part in the series. However, that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing display in both Tests against South Africa.
Some big reputations were damaged, and a few members aspiring to long red-ball careers were shown as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second whitewash on home soil experienced by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a surprising 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a place in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to South Africa threatens to derail the team's hopes of making the decider of this edition too.
After being third in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have fallen to number five. Though nine more Tests are yet to be played, five of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even against the mighty Aussies. However the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's vulnerability in the longer format has been badly exposed. However, the reason India have struggled so much in Tests on home soil in recent times is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, India were regarded as invincible in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an exception.
Now, India seem beatable in their own backyard.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The pitches they developed to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that India is floundering at home because home surfaces have been altered from turners to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to do well in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the IPL, in which many overseas players take part, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would pose to them earlier.
While there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason India's performances on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have identified various flaws after India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, poor choices, overconfidence, frequent changes of the team lineup, and prioritising limited-overs over the longer format.
This was obvious in the displays of the squad.
Players like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - fell short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not well enough to secure victories.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also questioned, driven by distraught fans and critical former players. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
