India's shocking 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa gave India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. This represented South Africa's first series win in India in 25 years and the host nation's another home failure in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory gained during the past six months has all but vanished and the prospects of multiple squad members - along with head coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Disappears
The new-look squad's commendable display in England this summer, under a new captain, pointed to a successful handover after the near-simultaneous departures of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the domestic season strengthened that view, until the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the initial match and did not participate again in the series. However, that neither explains nor absolves the side of the highly disappointing showing in the two games against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and several players hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This was the second series sweep at home endured by India in just more than a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had secured a surprising 3-0 triumph which essentially denied the hosts a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's hopes of qualifying for the decider of this cycle also.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table prior to the contest, India have dropped to number five. Though nine more Tests are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even against the mighty Aussies. But the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
India's frailty in the longer format has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason India have performed so poorly in Tests at home in recent times is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on surfaces that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an aberration.
Today, India look to be easy pickings in their own backyard.
Against New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they prepared to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals exploited them better, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is struggling at home because domestic pitches have been modified from turners to quick wickets to prepare players to do well in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars play, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would present to them earlier.
While there is validity in each argument, it still does not explain why the team's showings at home have experienced such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complicated issue, not only a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to multiple deficiencies following the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the team lineup, and prioritising limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the side.
Players such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, 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 - fell short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Management Questions
The analysis didn't spare just the players - team selectors and backroom team were also questioned, spurred on by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the examination was head coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
