India's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's second home series loss in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum established in the past six months has almost disappeared and the futures of multiple squad members - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a seamless changeover following the near-simultaneous departures of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the start of the domestic season strengthened that view, until the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. But that does not excuse or justify the side of the terribly sub-par showing in the two games against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and multiple individuals aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
It was the second clean sweep in home conditions endured by India in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a spot in the WTC final.
The latest loss to the Proteas could damage India's prospects of reaching the decider of this season also.
After being third in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have fallen to number five. Even though nine additional matches are yet to be played, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even against the powerful Australians. But the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
India's weakness in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, why India have struggled so much in Tests at home lately is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an exception.
Today, India seem beatable on home turf.
Facing the Kiwis in last year and South Africa this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they prepared to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as opponents exploited them better, outplaying the home team's players when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been altered from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to perform better overseas.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players take part, has reduced the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would pose to them in the past.
While there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for why India's performances on home soil have experienced such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
Most former players point to a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have identified several failings following India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the team lineup, and emphasizing limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the side.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - were found wanting in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The analysis didn't spare not only the cricketers - the selection panel and support staff were also questioned, spurred on by disappointed supporters and critical former players. In the spotlight of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
