India's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, the visiting team handed India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory established in the past six months has largely dissipated and the careers of multiple squad members - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The young team's strong showing in England this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a successful handover following the almost concurrent exits of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the start of the domestic season boosted that belief, until the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.
India were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill was injured early on in the initial match and took no further part in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the side of the well below standard showing in the two games against the opposition.
Some big reputations suffered, and multiple individuals eyeing extended tenures in Tests were exposed as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
It was the second series sweep on home soil suffered by India in just more than a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a staggering 3-0 triumph which essentially denied the hosts a spot in the WTC final.
The latest loss to South Africa could damage the team's hopes of qualifying for the final of this cycle also.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Though nine additional matches are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even when facing the strong Australian side. Yet the failures against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
India's weakness in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. However, why India have struggled so much in Tests on home soil in recent times is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, India were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that assisted spinners and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an aberration.
Today, India seem vulnerable in their own backyard.
Facing 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 went wrong completely, as opponents used them more effectively, beating the home team's players when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that India is struggling at home because home surfaces have been changed from spinning tracks to fast tracks to train the squad to do well in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars play, has removed the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would pose to them in the past.
Even though there is validity in these views, it does not clarify why the team's showings on home soil have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a few causes.
Experts and participants have identified multiple deficiencies following India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, regular alterations of the playing XI, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the squad.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - fell short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Management Questions
The review didn't spare the entire setup - team selectors and backroom team were also under fire, driven by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the criticism was mentor Gambhir.
At his post-series press
