India's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. This represented South Africa's maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory gained during the previous half-year has all but vanished and the careers of multiple squad members - along with head mentor the coach - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Disappears
The new-look squad's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a seamless changeover after the almost concurrent departures of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign strengthened that view, before the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill got injured quickly in the first Test and did not participate again in the contest. But that fails to account for the team of the well below standard performance in each match against the opposition.
Several established players suffered, and multiple individuals hoping for long red-ball careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
This represented the second clean sweep at home suffered by India in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a berth in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming the team's prospects of reaching the showpiece of this cycle too.
After being third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, India have dropped to the fifth spot. Although nine further games are yet to be played, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even against the strong Australian side. However the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
India's weakness in Test cricket has been badly exposed. However, why India have performed so poorly in Test matches at home lately is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, India were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that helped spin and benefited their players, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an exception.
Today, the team look to be easy pickings on home turf.
Facing New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they developed to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as the opposition used them more effectively, surpassing the home team's players when it mattered most.
What Happened?
Some suggest that India is floundering at home because local wickets have been altered from turners to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to perform better abroad.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has removed the surprise and difficulty home wickets would challenge them with before.
Even though there is some truth in both analyses, it does not clarify the reason the team's showings on home soil have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted various flaws following India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over the longer format.
This was evident in the displays of the squad.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - fell short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis also included not only the cricketers - the selection panel and backroom team were also questioned, fuelled by upset followers and critical former players. In the spotlight of the criticism was team coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
