India's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum gained during the past six months has all but vanished and the prospects of multiple squad members - including head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The emerging side's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a successful handover after the almost concurrent retirements of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the start of the home season strengthened that view, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Gill suffered an injury very early in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. Yet that fails to account for the squad of the highly disappointing display in each match against the opposition.
Several established players suffered, and several players aspiring to long red-ball careers were revealed to be not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second whitewash at home experienced by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 triumph which effectively cost India a berth in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to South Africa risks harming the team's chances of making the final of this edition too.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Although nine more Tests are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even when facing the powerful Australians. Yet the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
India's weakness in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, why the team have struggled so much in Tests at home in recent times is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an aberration.
Now, India seem beatable at home.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas currently, India were beaten at their own game. The tracks they prepared to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as the opposition used them more effectively, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Some suggest that India is struggling at home because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to fast tracks to train the squad to do well overseas.
A few mention that the IPL, in which many overseas players take part, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would pose to them in the past.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for the reason the team's showings on home soil have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not only one or two factors.
Experts and participants have identified multiple deficiencies following the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.
This was evident in the displays of the squad.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - fell short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but inadequately to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis didn't spare not only the cricketers - team selectors and backroom team were also questioned, spurred on by distraught fans and critical former players. Under focus of the examination was mentor Gambhir.
In his post-series press
