India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, South Africa handed India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. This represented South Africa's maiden series victory in India in 25 years and the host nation's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm built over the past six months has largely dissipated and the careers of a number of cricketers - as well as team coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Disappears
The emerging side's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, indicated a seamless changeover post the near-simultaneous retirements of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the home season strengthened that view, before the Proteas came and inflicted a fell blow.
India were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill was injured early on in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. But that does not excuse or justify the squad of the well below standard display in both Tests against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and several players aspiring to long red-ball careers were exposed as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second clean sweep at home experienced by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a remarkable 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a berth in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's prospects of reaching the decider of this edition too.
After being third in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, India have dropped to number five. Though nine additional matches are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even when facing the strong Australian side. However the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. That said, why India have struggled so much in Test matches at home lately is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, India were seen as impregnable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on surfaces that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India brooked no opposition. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an anomaly.
Today, India look to be easy pickings on home turf.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, India were beaten at their own game. The pitches they developed to help their style went wrong completely, as opponents exploited them better, outplaying the home team's players when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because home surfaces have been changed from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to do well in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has reduced the mystery and hardship home wickets would challenge them with in the past.
While there is some truth in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason India's performances on home soil have seen such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not only one or two factors.
Critics and players have pointed to various flaws following the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the playing XI, and favoring white-ball over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the squad.
Players like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - came up short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to win matches.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - the selection panel and backroom team were also criticized, spurred on by distraught fans and critical former players. At the centre of the examination was team coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
