India's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, the visiting team gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. It marked South Africa's initial series triumph in India in 25 years and the host nation's second home series loss in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm gained during the past six months has largely dissipated and the careers of several players - along with head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The young team's commendable display in the UK this season, under a new captain, indicated a seamless changeover after the near-simultaneous departures of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the home season enhanced that perception, before the South Africans arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Gill suffered an injury very early in the first Test and did not participate again in the series. However, that neither explains nor absolves the side of the terribly sub-par display in each match against the opposition.
Some big reputations were damaged, and several players hoping for extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second clean sweep in home conditions suffered by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had secured a surprising 3-0 triumph which practically cost India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to South Africa risks harming the team's hopes of reaching the decider of this edition also.
Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have been relegated to number five. Even though nine more Tests are remaining, a majority are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a major plus - even when facing the strong Australian side. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
India's weakness in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, why the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home lately is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an aberration.
Now, India seem beatable on home turf.
Versus New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they curated to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as rivals exploited them better, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Some suggest that India is struggling at home because domestic pitches have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to perform better overseas.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which several international stars take part, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would present to them earlier.
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 sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a multi-faceted challenge, not just one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to various flaws post the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was clear in the performances of the side.
Cricketers like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - came up short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The review didn't spare the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, spurred on by upset followers and critical former players. At the centre of the criticism was team coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
