India's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in two and a half decades and India's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum gained during the past six months has largely dissipated and the futures of multiple squad members - along with team coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The young team's commendable display in England this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a smooth transition following the almost concurrent departures of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the beginning of the home season boosted that belief, before the Proteas turned up and handed out a fell blow.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill got injured very early in the first Test and took no further part in the contest. However, that fails to account for the squad of the highly disappointing showing in each match against the opposition.
Several established players took a hit, and a few members eyeing lengthy Test careers were shown as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second whitewash at home endured by India in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had achieved a remarkable 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a spot in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage the team's prospects of qualifying for the decider of this edition also.
Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, India have dropped to number five. Even though nine further games are still to come, a majority are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a huge advantage - including against the powerful Australians. But the failures against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's vulnerability in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, the reason India have performed so poorly in Test matches at home recently is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts brooked no opposition. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an aberration.
Currently, India look to be vulnerable in their own backyard.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they curated to favor their game went wrong completely, as the opposition exploited them better, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is floundering at home because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to train the squad to succeed in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players participate, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would pose to them in the past.
While there is validity in both analyses, it does not clarify why the side's results at home have seen such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complicated issue, not limited to one or two factors.
Critics and players have identified various flaws following the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and emphasizing limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the side.
Players such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - fell short in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not well enough to claim wins.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - the selection panel and support staff were also questioned, spurred on by upset followers and critical former players. Under focus of the scrutiny was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
