The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, South Africa gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' first series win in India in 25 years and the host nation's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum gained during the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the careers of a number of cricketers - as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Disappears
The emerging side's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a new captain, pointed to a seamless changeover post the close together exits of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over West Indies at the start of the domestic season strengthened that view, until the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
India were a tad unfortunate that leader Shubman Gill was injured quickly in the initial match and did not participate again in the series. Yet that does not excuse or justify the team of the well below standard display in the two games against South Africa.
Some big reputations took a hit, and several players aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were exposed as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This was the second clean sweep at home endured by India in just a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 victory which effectively cost the hosts a spot in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage India's prospects of qualifying for the decider of this edition also.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, India have dropped to the fifth spot. Although nine further games are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even when facing the mighty Aussies. But the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. That said, why India have fared so badly in Tests at home recently is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as invincible in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an exception.
Currently, the team appear to be vulnerable on home turf.
Against New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they curated to help their style failed miserably, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is failing at home because home surfaces have been altered from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to do well abroad.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has taken away the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would pose to them earlier.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it still does not explain why the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have highlighted multiple deficiencies after the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, poor choices, overconfidence, regular alterations of the team lineup, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the squad.
Members such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - came up short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Coaching Scrutiny
The review also included the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, driven by upset followers and critical former players. In the spotlight of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
