India's surprising 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It marked South Africa's initial series triumph in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm gained during the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the prospects of a number of cricketers - including head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Disappears
The young team's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a successful handover post the close together retirements of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the start of the home season strengthened that view, till the South Africans came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Gill suffered an injury quickly in the initial match and did not participate again in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the well below standard showing in both Tests against the opposition.
Several established players took a hit, and several players hoping for long red-ball careers were shown as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
This was the second whitewash on home soil suffered by India in just a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 triumph which practically cost India a place in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas could damage the team's chances of making the showpiece of this cycle too.
From number three in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Though nine further games are remaining, five of these are against Australia. Usually, playing at home would be a major plus - even when facing the powerful Australians. However the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
India's weakness in the longer format has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why India have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil in recent times is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, India were considered invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on pitches that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, India brooked no opposition. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an exception.
Now, the team appear to be easy pickings on home turf.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, India were beaten at their own game. The tracks they curated to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as the opposition exploited them better, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that India is failing in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from spinning tracks to quick wickets to train the squad to succeed overseas.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has removed the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would challenge them with earlier.
While there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings at home have seen such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to one or two factors.
Experts and participants have identified several failings following India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the playing XI, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.
This was evident in the showings of the squad.
Cricketers like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - came up short in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their ability and standing - but inadequately to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem also included not only the cricketers - the selection panel and backroom team were also criticized, driven by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. Under focus of the examination was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
