The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recent Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, the visiting team handed India a record defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. It was South Africa's maiden series victory in India in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm gained during the last several months has all but vanished and the futures of multiple squad members - as well as team coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Disappears
The young team's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a new captain, suggested a successful handover after the close together retirements of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over the Windies at the start of the home season strengthened that view, until the Proteas turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
India were somewhat unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill got injured early on 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 display in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and a few members hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Concerning History
It was the second whitewash at home experienced by India in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 triumph which practically cost the hosts a berth in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to the Proteas threatens to derail India's hopes of making the final of this cycle as well.
From number three in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, India have been relegated to number five. Though nine more Tests are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even when facing the strong Australian side. But the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's weakness in the longer format has been badly exposed. That said, the reason the team have fared so badly in Tests at home in recent times is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an exception.
Currently, the team look to be easy pickings at home.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they curated to help their style backfired spectacularly, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the home team's players when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is floundering at home because domestic pitches have been modified from turners to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to succeed overseas.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players take part, has removed the mystery and hardship home wickets would present to them earlier.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason India's performances on home soil have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars identify a complicated issue, not only a few causes.
Experts and participants have pointed to various flaws following the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and prioritising white-ball over Test cricket.
This was evident in the displays of the squad.
Cricketers like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - came up short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem didn't spare not only the cricketers - the selection panel and support staff were also under fire, driven by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the criticism was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
