India's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, South Africa gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. It marked the Proteas' first series win in India in 25 years and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum gained during the previous half-year has all but vanished and the futures of multiple squad members - along with head mentor the coach - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Disappears
The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a successful handover after the near-simultaneous departures of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the beginning of the home season boosted that belief, before the Proteas turned up and handed out a fell blow.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that skipper Gill was injured early on in the initial match and took no further part in the contest. However, that does not excuse or justify the squad of the highly disappointing display in each match against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and several players hoping for long red-ball careers were shown as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second series sweep at home experienced by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had secured a surprising 3-0 triumph which effectively cost India a spot in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage the team's hopes of making the showpiece of this cycle too.
From number three in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to fifth place. Although nine further games are yet to be played, a majority are against Australia. Usually, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even against the mighty Aussies. Yet the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why India have fared so badly in Tests on home soil lately is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, the hosts brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an aberration.
Now, the team seem vulnerable in their own backyard.
Facing the Kiwis in last year and South Africa currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they developed to help their style failed miserably, as the opposition used them more effectively, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that India is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from turners to fast tracks to prepare players to perform better in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players play, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would present to them in the past.
While there is some truth in each argument, it does not clarify the reason the team's showings at home have seen such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complicated issue, not just a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have pointed to several failings following the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, regular alterations of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over the longer format.
This was evident in the showings of the side.
Cricketers such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - came up short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not well enough to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The review also included not only the cricketers - team selectors and backroom team were also under fire, driven by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
