India's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, South Africa handed India a record defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. It marked South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and the host nation's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm built over the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the futures of a number of cricketers - along with head coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Disappears
The new-look squad's strong showing in England this season, under a new captain, suggested a successful handover following the almost concurrent exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the start of the home campaign boosted that belief, until the Proteas came and inflicted a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill was injured early on in the opening Test and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the well below standard performance in the two games against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and a few members aspiring to long red-ball careers were shown as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Concerning History
It was the second whitewash at home endured by India in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a berth in the WTC final.
The latest loss to South Africa risks harming the team's chances of making the showpiece of this season too.
After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have dropped to fifth place. Although nine further games are yet to be played, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even against the powerful Australians. But the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas leave little scope for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason India have struggled so much in Tests at home in recent times is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were seen as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that assisted spinners and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an aberration.
Now, the team seem beatable at home.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they curated to favor their game went wrong completely, as the opposition used them more effectively, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is failing at home because local wickets have been changed from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to perform better in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has reduced the surprise and difficulty home wickets would pose to them in the past.
Although there is some truth in each argument, it still does not explain the reason the side's results at home have seen such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complicated issue, not just one or two factors.
Experts and participants have highlighted several failings post India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.
This was evident in the showings of the squad.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - were found wanting in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not well enough to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem didn't spare just the players - the selection panel and support staff were also under fire, fuelled by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the examination was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
