The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, South Africa inflicted upon India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum gained during the last several months has largely dissipated and the careers of a number of cricketers - along with head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The young team's commendable display in England this summer, under a new captain, suggested a successful handover after the close together departures of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the start of the home campaign strengthened that view, before the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.
India were somewhat unlucky that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the opening Test and took no further part in the contest. But that fails to account for the team of the terribly sub-par display in each match against South Africa.
Some big reputations were damaged, and several players aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were shown as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second whitewash at home endured by India in just a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 win which essentially denied India a spot in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage India's prospects of making the final of this edition also.
After being third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, India have dropped to number five. Though nine further games are yet to be played, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a significant benefit - including against the strong Australian side. Yet the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's vulnerability in the longer format has been clearly revealed. However, why India have struggled so much in Test matches at home lately is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on tracks that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts brooked no opposition. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against England, was considered an aberration.
Currently, India appear to be easy pickings on home turf.
Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they prepared to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been altered from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to perform better in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the IPL, in which several international stars play, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would pose to them before.
While there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for the reason the team's showings on home soil have experienced such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars identify a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to several failings following India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.
This was obvious in the displays of the team.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - fell short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not well enough to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The review didn't spare not only the cricketers - selectors and backroom team were also criticized, fuelled by upset followers and critical former players. At the centre of the examination was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
