India's surprising 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory gained during the past six months has all but vanished and the prospects of a number of cricketers - along with team coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The emerging side's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a new captain, suggested a seamless changeover post the close together exits of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the domestic season enhanced that perception, till the South Africans came and inflicted a fell blow.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that skipper Gill got injured early on in the first Test and took no further part in the contest. But that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the well below standard performance in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and several players aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were shown as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second clean sweep on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 win which effectively cost the hosts a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage the team's prospects of making the final of this season too.
From number three in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have dropped to number five. Though nine additional matches are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Usually, playing at home would be a significant benefit - including against the strong Australian side. Yet the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas leave little scope for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
India's frailty in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason India have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil lately is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on surfaces that helped spin and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an exception.
Today, the team seem vulnerable in their own backyard.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they developed to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as the opposition exploited them better, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that India is floundering at home because home surfaces have been changed from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to succeed overseas.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players play, has taken away the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would pose to them earlier.
While there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for why the side's results at home have experienced such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players point to a complicated issue, not only a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have pointed to various flaws after India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, poor choices, arrogance, frequent changes of the playing XI, and favoring limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the squad.
Players such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - were found wanting in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not well enough to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The review didn't spare not only the cricketers - the selection panel and support staff were also criticized, driven by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. Under focus of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
