The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recent Test series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa handed India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It was the Proteas' first series win in India in 25 years and India's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory gained during the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the careers of multiple squad members - along with head mentor the coach - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Disappears
The emerging side's commendable display in the UK this season, under a new captain, indicated a seamless changeover following the close together exits of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over the Windies at the start of the home season strengthened that view, before the South Africans came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that leader Gill suffered an injury early on in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the terribly sub-par performance in each match against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and a few members hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second clean sweep on home soil experienced by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a place in the WTC final.
The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming India's hopes of making the final of this cycle also.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Though nine more Tests are still to come, a majority are against Australia. Usually, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even when facing the powerful Australians. Yet the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
India's frailty in the longer format has been clearly revealed. However, why India have fared so badly in Test matches at home recently is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, India were considered unbeatable in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an exception.
Currently, the team look to be vulnerable at home.
Versus New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they prepared to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that India is floundering in home conditions because local wickets have been altered from turners to fast tracks to prepare players to perform better abroad.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has reduced the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would present to them in the past.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it does not clarify why the team's showings on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a multi-faceted challenge, not only one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to multiple deficiencies after India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and emphasizing white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the team.
Members such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - fell short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not well enough to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The analysis didn't spare not only the cricketers - selectors and backroom team were also under fire, spurred on by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the criticism was mentor Gambhir.
In his post-series press
