The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' first series win in India in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory established in the past six months has largely dissipated and the careers of multiple squad members - including head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The young team's impressive performance in England this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a seamless changeover post the almost concurrent retirements of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the beginning of the domestic season enhanced that perception, till the Proteas arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury quickly in the initial match and took no further part in the series. However, that does not excuse or justify the squad of the well below standard showing in the two games against South Africa.
Several established players took a hit, and a few members aspiring to lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not up to the mark - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
This was the second series sweep at home suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 win which effectively cost India a place in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to South Africa could damage India's prospects of making the decider of this cycle as well.
From number three in the WTC table prior to the contest, the side have been relegated to number five. Even though nine further games are still to come, five of these are against the Aussies. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even when facing the mighty Aussies. Yet the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason the team have struggled so much in Tests at home recently is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, India were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an aberration.
Now, the team seem beatable at home.
Against New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they developed to help their style failed miserably, as the opposition exploited them better, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is struggling at home because home surfaces have been changed from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to do well overseas.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars play, has taken away the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would present to them before.
While there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it still does not explain the reason India's performances at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
Most former players point to a complicated issue, not only a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to various flaws post India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the team lineup, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the displays of the team.
Players such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - were found wanting in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The review didn't spare the entire setup - the selection panel and coaching staff were also questioned, driven by distraught fans and vocal past stars. Under focus of the scrutiny was head coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
