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.
In the final match, South Africa gave India a record loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It was South Africa's first series win in India in 25 years and the host nation's second defeat at home in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum gained during the previous half-year has all but vanished and the prospects of several players - along with head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this season, under a new captain, indicated a successful handover following the close together retirements of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the home campaign boosted that belief, before the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
India were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill was injured very early in the opening Test and did not participate again in the contest. But that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing performance in each match against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and multiple individuals aspiring to long red-ball careers were revealed to be not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second clean sweep in home conditions experienced by the Indian team in just more than a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a staggering 3-0 victory which practically cost the hosts a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage India's chances of making the final of this cycle also.
From number three in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Although nine more Tests are yet to be played, five of these are against Australia. Usually, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even against the powerful Australians. But the failures against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
India's weakness in the longer format has been badly exposed. That said, why India have performed so poorly in Test matches at home in recent times is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on pitches that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an aberration.
Today, the team appear to be easy pickings on home turf.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they developed to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as opponents exploited them better, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because local wickets have been modified from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to succeed overseas.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players take part, has removed the mystery and hardship home wickets would challenge them with in the past.
While there is some truth in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason India's performances at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
Most former players point to a multi-faceted challenge, not only a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have identified several failings after the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the displays of the squad.
Members like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - were found wanting in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not well enough to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The review also included not only the cricketers - the selection panel and backroom team were also criticized, fuelled by upset followers and vocal past stars. At the centre of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
