India's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, the visiting team handed India a record defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. It was South Africa's first series win in India in 25 years and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory built over the past six months has largely dissipated and the futures of a number of cricketers - along with team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this season, under a different skipper, indicated a seamless changeover after the almost concurrent exits of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over the Windies at the beginning of the home campaign strengthened that view, before the South Africans came and inflicted a fell blow.
India were somewhat unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the initial match and took no further part in the series. However, that fails to account for the side of the highly disappointing display in the two games against the opposition.
Some big reputations were damaged, and multiple individuals eyeing long red-ball careers were shown as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second whitewash at home endured by India in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a remarkable 3-0 victory which practically cost India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas could damage the team's chances of making the final of this cycle also.
After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to number five. Even though nine additional matches are yet to be played, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even against the strong Australian side. However the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, why India have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil lately is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an exception.
Today, the team appear to be easy pickings on home turf.
Against New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, India were beaten at their own game. The tracks they developed to suit their strengths failed miserably, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that India is failing at home because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to perform better abroad.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars participate, has taken away the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would challenge them with earlier.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it does not clarify why the team's showings at home have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complicated issue, not limited to one or two factors.
Critics and players have identified multiple deficiencies post the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the displays of the squad.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - came up short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but inadequately to secure victories.
Coaching Scrutiny
The analysis targeted just the players - team selectors and backroom team were also criticized, fuelled by upset followers and critical former players. At the centre of the criticism was mentor Gambhir.
In his post-series press