For decades, playing cricket in India was the ultimate nightmare for visiting teams. The pitches spun, the crowds roared, and victory for the home side felt like a guarantee. But under Head Coach Gautam Gambhir, that once-impregnable fortress has developed deep, visible cracks.

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The latest blow is perhaps the hardest to digest. South Africa has just defeated India in a Test series on Indian soil, something that hasn't happened in 25 years. You have to go all the way back to the year 2000 to find the last time the Proteas left India with a series trophy. It’s a historic low that has left fans and experts stunned. But this isn't an isolated incident; it’s part of a worrying pattern.

Just last year, in 2024, New Zealand did the unthinkable. They didn't just beat India; they "clean-swept" them 3-0 in a three-Test series. They turned India's biggest friend into their biggest foe. They used spin to outplay India on their home turf. It was the first time ever that India had been whitewashed at home in a series of that length. The pain, however, wasn't limited to home games.

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy, a symbol of India's recent dominance over Australia, also slipped away. After holding onto it proudly since 2015, India handed the trophy back to Australia, marking the end of a golden era of away dominance.

When you look at the "wins" column under Gambhir’s tenure, the picture remains grim. The only series victories have come against lower-ranked opposition, Bangladesh and the West Indies. While a win is a win, these victories now feel like papering over the cracks rather than signs of true strength.

The numbers don't lie. The fear factor is gone. Opponents no longer arrive in India expecting to lose; they arrive believing they can make history. For Indian cricket fans used to invincibility, this new reality is a tough pill to swallow.