India's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recent Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, South Africa handed India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's initial series triumph in India in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum gained during the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the prospects of several players - including head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The young team's impressive performance in England this season, under a different skipper, suggested a successful handover post the near-simultaneous departures of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the home season strengthened that view, before the Proteas turned up and handed out a fell blow.
India were somewhat unlucky that captain Gill got injured very early in the initial match and was ruled out in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing performance in each match against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and several players hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second clean sweep in home conditions endured by India in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa could damage India's prospects of making the decider of this cycle also.
After being third in the WTC table before the series, the side have fallen to fifth place. Though nine additional matches are yet to be played, a majority are against the Aussies. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - including against the powerful Australians. However the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's weakness in the longer format has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why India have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil lately is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an exception.
Today, India seem vulnerable in their own backyard.
Facing the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The pitches they developed to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as opponents exploited them better, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What Happened?
Some suggest that India is struggling at home because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to perform better abroad.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players play, has reduced the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would present to them before.
Although there is validity in each argument, it still does not explain why India's performances at home have seen such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players diagnose a complicated issue, not just one or two factors.
Critics and players have pointed to various flaws after India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, overconfidence, regular alterations of the playing XI, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the team.
Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - were found wanting in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The review targeted the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also criticized, driven by upset followers and vocal past stars. At the centre of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
