The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India a record loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It marked the Proteas' first series win in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum established in the past six months has almost disappeared and the futures of multiple squad members - including head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a smooth transition following the almost concurrent retirements of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over the Windies at the commencement of the home campaign boosted that belief, before the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the opening Test and was ruled out in the contest. However, that fails to account for the squad of the terribly sub-par display in each match against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and a few members eyeing extended tenures in Tests were exposed as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
It was the second clean sweep on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a remarkable 3-0 triumph which effectively cost India a berth in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage the team's chances of reaching the decider of this cycle too.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, India have dropped to fifth place. Though nine more Tests are yet to be played, five of these are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even when facing the mighty Aussies. However the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
India's vulnerability in the longer format has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why India have performed so poorly in Tests at home lately is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were regarded as invincible in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an aberration.
Currently, the team appear to be beatable at home.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they curated to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as the opposition used them more effectively, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is struggling at home because home surfaces have been altered from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to do well abroad.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players take part, has taken away the surprise and difficulty home wickets would pose to them in the past.
Although there is validity in both analyses, it does not clarify why the team's showings at home have experienced such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars identify a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a few causes.
Experts and participants have highlighted various flaws after the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the team lineup, and favoring limited-overs over the longer format.
This was obvious in the showings of the squad.
Players like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - fell short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not well enough to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - the selection panel and support staff were also criticized, spurred on by disappointed supporters and critical former players. At the centre of the examination was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
