India's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, South Africa gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. It was South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and the host nation's another home failure in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum gained during the last several months has almost disappeared and the prospects of a number of cricketers - as well as team coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a new captain, indicated a successful handover after the close together retirements of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the start of the domestic season enhanced that perception, until the South Africans came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill got injured very early in the first Test and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the side of the highly disappointing showing in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and a few members aspiring to lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second whitewash at home experienced by India in just a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had secured a remarkable 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage India's chances of reaching the showpiece of this edition too.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table before the series, India have dropped to number five. Even though nine more Tests are remaining, half of these are against Australia. Usually, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
India's weakness in the longer format has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason India have fared so badly in Tests on home soil lately is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, India were regarded as invincible in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that assisted spinners and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an exception.
Currently, India seem beatable in their own backyard.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they developed to help their style backfired spectacularly, as opponents used them more effectively, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that India is struggling at home because domestic pitches have been altered from turners to fast tracks to prepare players to do well overseas.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has taken away the surprise and difficulty home wickets would present to them before.
While there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it still does not explain why the team's showings on home soil have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars identify a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted several failings post India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, arrogance, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and favoring white-ball over Test cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the side.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - came up short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The review didn't spare the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also under fire, driven by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. At the centre of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
