The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, South Africa inflicted upon India a record defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' first series win in India in 25 years and the host nation's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm built over the past six months has almost disappeared and the futures of multiple squad members - along with head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The young team's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a new captain, suggested a seamless changeover post the almost concurrent departures of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over West Indies at the start of the domestic season boosted that belief, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the opening Test and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the side of the terribly sub-par showing in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and several players eyeing lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second whitewash in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to South Africa threatens to derail India's prospects of reaching the final of this season too.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table prior to the contest, the side have dropped to number five. Though nine further games are still to come, a majority are against Australia. Usually, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even against the mighty Aussies. However the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
India's vulnerability in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, why the team have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil recently is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an exception.
Today, the team seem vulnerable on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in last year and South Africa currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they prepared to favor their game went wrong completely, as rivals used them more effectively, surpassing the home team's players when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is floundering at home because domestic pitches have been modified from spinning tracks to quick wickets to train the squad to succeed abroad.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has taken away the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would pose to them in the past.
Although there is some truth in both analyses, it does not clarify the reason India's performances at home have experienced such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to several failings post India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, arrogance, regular alterations of the playing XI, and favoring white-ball over the longer format.
This was obvious in the performances of the side.
Cricketers such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - fell short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not well enough to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The review didn't spare the entire setup - the selection panel and backroom team were also under fire, fuelled by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. Under focus of the criticism was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
