India's shocking 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, the visiting team handed India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. This represented South Africa's initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has all but vanished and the careers of a number of cricketers - along with team coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The emerging side's strong showing in England this season, under a fresh leadership, suggested a successful handover after the almost concurrent retirements of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over West Indies at the start of the domestic season enhanced that perception, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury quickly in the first Test and took no further part in the series. However, that fails to account for the team of the highly disappointing showing in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and several players hoping for lengthy Test careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second series sweep on home soil experienced by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had secured a surprising 3-0 victory which practically cost the hosts a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to South Africa could damage the team's chances of making the decider of this season also.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have fallen to the fifth spot. Even though nine additional matches are remaining, half of these are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even against the mighty Aussies. However the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's weakness in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, why the team have fared so badly in Tests on home soil recently is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against England, was considered an exception.
Today, the team appear to be vulnerable at home.
Against the Kiwis in last year and South Africa currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to favor their game went wrong completely, as rivals used them more effectively, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that the Indian team is floundering at home because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to do well in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would challenge them with before.
While there is some truth in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason the side's results at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not only one or two factors.
Experts and participants have identified various flaws after the team's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and favoring limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the squad.
Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, 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 lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The review didn't spare just the players - selectors and support staff were also questioned, fuelled by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
