India's unexpected 0-2 defeat 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 Test defeat by runs, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' first series win in India in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum built over the past six months has almost disappeared and the careers of a number of cricketers - as well as head mentor the coach - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this season, under a new captain, pointed to a seamless changeover following the almost concurrent departures of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the home campaign strengthened that view, until the South Africans turned up and handed out a fell blow.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill was injured quickly in the opening Test and was ruled out in the series. Yet that fails to account for the squad of the highly disappointing display in both Tests against South Africa.
Some big reputations were damaged, and a few members eyeing extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second clean sweep on home soil suffered by India in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a remarkable 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a place in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming India's chances of qualifying for the showpiece of this cycle too.
From number three in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Though nine further games are remaining, a majority are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - including against the powerful Australians. But the failures against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. That said, why the team have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil lately is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an exception.
Currently, the team seem easy pickings on home turf.
Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they curated to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as the opposition used them more effectively, beating the home team's players when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that India is struggling at home because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to quick wickets to prepare players to succeed abroad.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has removed the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would present to them earlier.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it does not clarify the reason the team's showings on home soil have seen such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies after India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the squad.
Members like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - came up short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The review targeted just the players - selectors and support staff were also under fire, spurred on by upset followers and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the criticism was team coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
