India's unexpected 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, the visiting team handed India a record defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm established in the previous half-year has all but vanished and the careers of multiple squad members - including head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Disappears
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a new captain, indicated a smooth transition post the almost concurrent exits of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over the Windies at the commencement of the home campaign boosted that belief, until the South Africans came and inflicted a fell blow.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury quickly in the initial match and took no further part in the series. However, that fails to account for the team of the highly disappointing showing in each match against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and multiple individuals aspiring to lengthy Test careers were shown as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second clean sweep at home suffered by India in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 win which practically cost India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa risks harming India's prospects of making the decider of this season too.
From number three in the Test championship standings before the series, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Even though nine further games are yet to be played, a majority are against Australia. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even against the mighty Aussies. But the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
India's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, why India have performed so poorly in Test matches at home lately is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an anomaly.
Now, the team look to be vulnerable in their own backyard.
Against New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to suit their strengths failed miserably, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that India is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to quick wickets to train the squad to succeed abroad.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players take part, has removed the mystery and hardship home wickets would present to them before.
Although there is validity in each argument, it still does not explain the reason the side's results at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have highlighted several failings post the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the team lineup, and favoring white-ball over the longer format.
This was clear in the displays of the squad.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar 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 nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem also included not only the cricketers - selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, driven by disappointed supporters and critical former players. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
