India's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, South Africa gave India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It marked the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in 25 years and the host nation's another home failure in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm gained during the last several months has largely dissipated and the futures of several players - along with head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, indicated a seamless changeover after the near-simultaneous retirements of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the home season boosted that belief, until the Proteas arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
India were a tad unfortunate that captain Gill was injured very early in the first Test and took no further part in the contest. However, that fails to account for the team of the terribly sub-par showing in both Tests against South Africa.
Some big reputations took a hit, and several players hoping for lengthy Test careers were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second series sweep at home endured by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa risks harming India's prospects of making the final of this season too.
After being third in the Test championship standings before the series, India have dropped to number five. Even though nine additional matches are remaining, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even against the strong Australian side. However the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
India's frailty in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. That said, the reason India have performed so poorly in Tests at home recently is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as impregnable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that helped spin and benefited their players, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an exception.
Today, the team appear to be vulnerable in their own backyard.
Versus New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, India were beaten at their own game. The tracks they developed to help their style backfired spectacularly, as rivals exploited them better, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering at home because local wickets have been altered from turners to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to succeed abroad.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has taken away the surprise and difficulty home wickets would pose to them earlier.
While there is some truth in each argument, it fails to account for the reason the team's showings on home soil have experienced such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars identify a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have identified several failings after the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, poor choices, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and favoring limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the squad.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - fell short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not well enough to win matches.
Management Questions
The review targeted not only the cricketers - team selectors and backroom team were also under fire, fuelled by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the examination was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
