The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, South Africa gave India a record Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. This represented the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum gained during the last several months has largely dissipated and the futures of several players - along with head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The young team's commendable display in the UK this season, under a different skipper, suggested a smooth transition after the near-simultaneous retirements of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over West Indies at the start of the home campaign strengthened that view, until the Proteas arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Gill got injured quickly in the opening Test and did not participate again in the contest. However, that does not excuse or justify the squad of the terribly sub-par performance in each match against the opposition.
Some big reputations suffered, and multiple individuals hoping for extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Concerning History
This represented the second clean sweep in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a place in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to South Africa risks harming the team's chances of making the showpiece of this edition as well.
Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, the side have been relegated to number five. Even though nine additional matches are still to come, a majority are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even against the mighty Aussies. However the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's frailty in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, the reason India have fared so badly in Test matches at home recently is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that helped spin and benefited their players, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an exception.
Currently, the team appear to be easy pickings at home.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they prepared to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is failing in home conditions because home surfaces have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to perform better overseas.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has removed the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would pose to them before.
Even though there is validity in both analyses, it does not clarify the reason the side's results at home have seen such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players identify a multi-faceted challenge, not just one or two factors.
Experts and participants have pointed to various flaws following India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, frequent changes of the team lineup, and favoring limited-overs over the longer format.
This was obvious in the displays of the side.
Members such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - were found wanting in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not well enough to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, driven by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the criticism was mentor Gambhir.
At his post-series press
