India's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recently concluded 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 South Africa's first series win in India in 25 years and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory built over the past six months has all but vanished and the prospects of multiple squad members - including head mentor the coach - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a new captain, suggested a seamless changeover post the near-simultaneous departures of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the commencement of the home campaign enhanced that perception, until the Proteas arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
India were a bit unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill was injured early on in the opening Test and was ruled out in the series. But that does not excuse or justify the squad of the well below standard showing in both Tests against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and several players hoping for extended tenures in Tests were shown as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second series sweep on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a remarkable 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa threatens to derail the team's prospects of making the showpiece of this edition as well.
Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have fallen to fifth place. Though nine further games are still to come, a majority are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even when facing the strong Australian side. But the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's weakness in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, the reason India have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil in recent times is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Today, the team look to be beatable on home turf.
Facing New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they curated to help their style backfired spectacularly, as the opposition exploited them better, outplaying the home team's players when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
Some suggest that India is failing at home because local wickets have been changed from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to do well in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would present to them earlier.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it still does not explain the reason the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not just one or two factors.
Critics and players have identified various flaws after India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was clear in the performances of the squad.
Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - came up short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but inadequately to secure victories.
Coaching Scrutiny
The review also included the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also questioned, driven by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
