India's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It marked South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the careers of a number of cricketers - along with team coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Disappears
The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this season, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a smooth transition following the close together retirements of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the start of the home season enhanced that perception, before the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that leader Shubman Gill got injured early on in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the side of the terribly sub-par display in each match against South Africa.
Some big reputations were damaged, and several players aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This represented the second clean sweep at home experienced by the Indian team in just over a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had pulled off a staggering 3-0 victory which practically cost the hosts a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage India's chances of reaching the decider of this edition too.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to fifth place. Although nine more Tests are remaining, a majority are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a major plus - including against the powerful Australians. Yet the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why India have fared so badly in Tests at home lately is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, India were regarded as invincible in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an aberration.
Now, the team look to be beatable at home.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they prepared to favor their game failed miserably, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that India is struggling in home conditions because home surfaces have been altered from spinning tracks to fast tracks to prepare players to do well abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars play, has taken away the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would pose to them earlier.
Although there is validity in these views, it fails to account for the reason the side's results on home soil have seen such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players point to a complicated issue, not limited to a few causes.
Critics and players have identified several failings post India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, frequent changes of the playing XI, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the squad.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - fell short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Management Questions
The review targeted just the players - team selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, spurred on by distraught fans and critical former players. Under focus of the criticism was team coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
