The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. This represented South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and the host nation's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm established in the past six months has almost disappeared and the careers of a number of cricketers - along with team coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this summer, under a new captain, suggested a smooth transition after the near-simultaneous departures of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the home season strengthened that view, until the Proteas came and inflicted a fell blow.
India were somewhat unlucky that leader Gill got injured quickly in the initial match and did not participate again in the series. Yet that fails to account for the squad of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and multiple individuals aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were shown as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second clean sweep on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 win which practically cost India a place in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to South Africa risks harming India's chances of reaching the showpiece of this edition also.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Though nine more Tests are remaining, five of these are against Australia. Usually, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even against the powerful Australians. Yet the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been badly exposed. That said, the reason the team have fared so badly in Tests on home soil in recent times is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as invincible in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an aberration.
Now, the team look to be easy pickings at home.
Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they curated to help their style failed miserably, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the home team's players when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from turners to quick wickets to train the squad to perform better in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players take part, has removed the surprise and difficulty home wickets would challenge them with earlier.
While there is some truth in these views, it fails to account for the reason the side's results at home have seen such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players point to a complicated issue, not only one or two factors.
Critics and players have pointed to multiple deficiencies post India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the squad.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - fell short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not well enough to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - the selection panel and backroom team were also questioned, spurred on by disappointed supporters and critical former players. At the centre of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
