India's unexpected 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, the visiting team handed India a record defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' first series win in India in a quarter-century and India'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 - along with head mentor the coach - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Disappears
The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a successful handover after the almost concurrent exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign enhanced that perception, before the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill was injured very early in the first Test and did not participate again in the series. But that does not excuse or justify the team of the well below standard showing in each match against South Africa.
Several established players took a hit, and multiple individuals eyeing long red-ball careers were shown as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second series sweep on home soil experienced by India in just a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 win which practically cost India a berth 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 season as well.
After being third in the WTC table before the series, India have fallen to fifth place. Although nine additional matches are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - including against the strong Australian side. But the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's weakness in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. However, why India have fared so badly in Test matches at home lately is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as invincible in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an exception.
Today, the team appear to be easy pickings in their own backyard.
Against the Kiwis in last year and South Africa currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they prepared to help their style failed miserably, as rivals exploited them better, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that India is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to train the squad to do well overseas.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has taken away the mystery and hardship home wickets would pose to them in the past.
Although there is some truth in these views, it does not clarify why the side's results at home have seen such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players point to a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have identified several failings after India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the team lineup, and favoring limited-overs over the longer format.
This was clear in the showings of the squad.
Cricketers such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - came up short in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not well enough to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The review also included the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, driven by distraught fans and critical former players. Under focus of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
