India's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, South Africa gave India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' first series win in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm built over the previous half-year has all but vanished and the prospects of a number of cricketers - along with head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Disappears
The new-look squad's commendable display in England this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a successful handover post the close together exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the beginning of the domestic season strengthened that view, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
The home side were a bit unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill got injured early on in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. However, that does not excuse or justify the squad of the highly disappointing display in each match against South Africa.
Several established players took a hit, and several players hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This represented the second whitewash in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 triumph which effectively cost the hosts a berth in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail India's hopes of making the showpiece of this edition also.
From number three in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have dropped to number five. Although nine additional matches are still to come, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even against the strong Australian side. But the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
India's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, why the team have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil lately is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were considered invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an aberration.
Now, the team appear to be beatable at home.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to help their style failed miserably, as the opposition exploited them better, beating the home team's players when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is struggling at home because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to perform better in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the IPL, in which many overseas players take part, has taken away the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would present to them before.
Although there is validity in these views, it fails to account for the reason the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
Most former players point to a multi-faceted challenge, not just one or two factors.
Critics and players have identified multiple deficiencies post the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, frequent changes of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the side.
Members like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - came up short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem also included not only the cricketers - the selection panel and coaching staff were also criticized, driven by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. Under focus of the examination was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
