India's shocking 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, South Africa handed India a record Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. This represented the Proteas' maiden series victory in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and the host nation's second home series loss in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has almost disappeared and the futures of a number of cricketers - along with head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Disappears
The young team's commendable display in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a smooth transition after the almost concurrent retirements of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the commencement of the home season strengthened that view, before the South Africans came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill was injured very early in the initial match and was ruled out in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the side of the terribly sub-par performance in each match against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and several players hoping for extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This represented the second clean sweep in home conditions experienced by India in just a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 win which essentially denied India a berth in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage India's prospects of qualifying for the decider of this season as well.
From number three in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to number five. Even though nine further games are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even when facing the strong Australian side. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
India's frailty in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, why the team have struggled so much in Tests on home soil recently is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an anomaly.
Currently, the team seem easy pickings at home.
Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they prepared to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the home team's players when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to perform better in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players take part, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would challenge them with before.
Although there is some truth in each argument, it does not clarify the reason the side's results on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
Most former players diagnose a complicated issue, not just a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted multiple deficiencies post the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over the longer format.
This was evident in the showings of the squad.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement 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, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to claim wins.
Management Questions
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - the selection panel and coaching staff were also under fire, spurred on by upset followers and vocal past stars. At the centre of the scrutiny was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
