The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It marked the Proteas' first series win in India in 25 years and the host nation's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory established in the last several months has almost disappeared and the prospects of a number of cricketers - along with head mentor the coach - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this summer, under a new captain, suggested a seamless changeover post the almost concurrent exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign strengthened that view, before the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were a tad unfortunate that captain Gill got injured very early in the initial match and took no further part in the series. However, that fails to account for the side of the well below standard display in each match against South Africa.
Some big reputations suffered, and a few members hoping for long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second whitewash at home endured by India in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 win which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage India's hopes of making the final of this edition as well.
After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to fifth place. Even though nine additional matches are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even against the strong Australian side. Yet the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas leave little scope for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, why India have performed so poorly in Tests at home in recent times is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as invincible in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an exception.
Today, the team look to be vulnerable in their own backyard.
Against the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they developed to help their style failed miserably, as opponents exploited them better, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that India is struggling at home because home surfaces have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to succeed overseas.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has taken away the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would pose to them before.
Although there is some truth in both analyses, it still does not explain why the team's showings at home have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars identify a complicated issue, not limited to one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to multiple deficiencies following the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the squad.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - fell short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not well enough to secure victories.
Management Questions
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also criticized, spurred on by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the criticism was team coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
