India's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, South Africa inflicted upon India a record defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's initial series triumph in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the careers of multiple squad members - as well as team coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Disappears
The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this season, under a new captain, indicated a smooth transition after the near-simultaneous retirements of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign enhanced that perception, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that skipper Shubman Gill got injured early on in the first Test and did not participate again in the series. However, that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing performance in the two games against the opposition.
Some big reputations suffered, and a few members hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second whitewash at home experienced by the Indian team in just more than a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 win which effectively cost India a place in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to the Proteas threatens to derail India's chances of qualifying for the final of this season as well.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table before the series, the side have dropped to number five. Even though nine further games are remaining, half of these are against Australia. Usually, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - including against the mighty Aussies. But the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
India's weakness in the longer format has been badly exposed. That said, the reason the team have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil in recent times is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, India were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that assisted spinners and aided their squad, India brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an exception.
Currently, India appear to be beatable in their own backyard.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to help their style backfired spectacularly, as rivals used them more effectively, outplaying the home team's players when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling at home because domestic pitches have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to perform better abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players play, has removed the mystery and hardship home wickets would pose to them in the past.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the team's showings at home have seen such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted various flaws post India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the playing XI, and favoring limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was evident in the displays of the squad.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - came up short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - team selectors and support staff were also questioned, spurred on by distraught fans and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
