The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, South Africa gave India a record Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. This represented the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in 25 years and India's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory built over the previous half-year has all but vanished and the futures of several players - including head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Disappears
The young team's commendable display in England this season, under a fresh leadership, indicated a seamless changeover after the near-simultaneous exits of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over the Windies at the commencement of the home season enhanced that perception, before the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that leader Shubman Gill got injured early on in the initial match and was ruled out in the series. Yet that fails to account for the squad of the well below standard performance in the two games against the opposition.
Several established players were damaged, and several players aspiring to long red-ball careers were exposed as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second series sweep at home endured by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a berth in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's hopes of qualifying for the final of this cycle also.
After being third in the WTC table before the series, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Though nine more Tests are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - including against the mighty Aussies. However the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
India's vulnerability in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, why the team have struggled so much in Tests at home in recent times is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an anomaly.
Today, the team look to be vulnerable on home turf.
Versus the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they prepared to help their style failed miserably, as the opposition exploited them better, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is floundering at home because domestic pitches have been altered from spinning tracks to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to do well overseas.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has reduced the surprise and difficulty home wickets would challenge them with in the past.
Even though there is some truth in each argument, it still does not explain why India's performances at home have experienced such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not only one or two factors.
Experts and participants have identified several failings after the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over the longer format.
This was obvious in the showings of the squad.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - fell short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The review targeted the entire setup - the selection panel and coaching staff were also under fire, spurred on by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
