India's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, South Africa gave India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. This represented the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum built over the last several months has almost disappeared and the futures of a number of cricketers - including head coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Disappears
The young team's commendable display in the UK this season, under a different skipper, indicated a seamless changeover following the close together departures of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the commencement of the home campaign strengthened that view, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill got injured early on in the opening Test and was ruled out in the series. But that does not excuse or justify the squad of the terribly sub-par showing in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players suffered, and multiple individuals aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
It was the second whitewash at home suffered by India in just over a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had pulled off a surprising 3-0 win which effectively cost the hosts a place in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming the team's chances of qualifying for the final of this edition also.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table before the series, the side have fallen to number five. Even though nine further games are still to come, five of these are against the Aussies. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even against the mighty Aussies. However the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's weakness in the longer format has been badly exposed. That said, the reason the team have fared so badly in Tests on home soil recently is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts brooked no opposition. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an aberration.
Now, the team seem beatable on home turf.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they developed to help their style backfired spectacularly, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the home team's players when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is failing at home because domestic pitches have been altered from spinning tracks to quick wickets to train the squad to succeed overseas.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has removed the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would pose to them before.
Although there is validity in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason the side's results at home have seen such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a multi-faceted challenge, not just a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have identified multiple deficiencies after India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, arrogance, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the team.
Cricketers like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - fell short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Coaching Scrutiny
The review also included just the players - selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, driven by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the examination was mentor Gambhir.
During his post-series press
