India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, the visiting team handed India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It marked South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and the host nation's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the futures of several players - along with head mentor the coach - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Disappears
The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a smooth transition after the near-simultaneous exits of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the commencement of the domestic season boosted that belief, before the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were somewhat unlucky that captain Shubman Gill was injured early on in the opening Test and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par performance in both Tests against the opposition.
Several established players suffered, and multiple individuals hoping for long red-ball careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Concerning History
This represented the second whitewash on home soil suffered by India in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 win which essentially denied the hosts a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to South Africa risks harming the team's chances of qualifying for the final of this season too.
After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have dropped to number five. Although nine more Tests are yet to be played, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even against the powerful Australians. Yet the failures against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's vulnerability in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, the reason the team have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil lately is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were regarded as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an aberration.
Now, India look to be beatable in their own backyard.
Versus New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The tracks they developed to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as opponents exploited them better, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is struggling at home because home surfaces have been altered from turners to quick wickets to prepare players to succeed overseas.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players play, has removed the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would pose to them in the past.
While there is validity in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the team's showings at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have identified multiple deficiencies after India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, poor choices, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the performances of the squad.
Members such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - came up short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis didn't spare just the players - selectors and backroom team were also questioned, fuelled by distraught fans and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
