India's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, the visiting team handed India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It was South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and the host nation's second home series loss in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory gained during the past six months has all but vanished and the prospects of a number of cricketers - along with head mentor Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Disappears
The young team's commendable display in England this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a smooth transition after the near-simultaneous exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over West Indies at the commencement of the home season boosted that belief, before the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.
The home side were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the initial match and took no further part in the contest. However, that fails to account for the team of the well below standard performance in each match against the opposition.
Some big reputations took a hit, and a few members aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second clean sweep on home soil suffered by India in just more than a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 win which effectively cost the hosts a place in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to South Africa threatens to derail the team's chances of making the decider of this cycle also.
After being third in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Although nine additional matches are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even against the mighty Aussies. However the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's vulnerability in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, the reason India have struggled so much in Tests at home lately is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, India were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an aberration.
Now, the team seem easy pickings in their own backyard.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they prepared to favor their game failed miserably, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the home team's players when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is floundering in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to succeed abroad.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has reduced the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would pose to them earlier.
Even though there is some truth in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the team's showings at home have seen such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to one or two factors.
Critics and players have identified several failings after the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, frequent changes of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the side.
Members such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - were found wanting in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not well enough to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem didn't spare not only the cricketers - team selectors and backroom team were also questioned, driven by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. At the centre of the examination was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
