The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recent Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, South Africa gave India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's another home failure in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory gained during the past six months has largely dissipated and the futures of several players - as well as head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a seamless changeover after the almost concurrent departures of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over the Windies at the start of the home campaign enhanced that perception, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a fell blow.
India were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill suffered an injury quickly in the first Test and took no further part in the series. Yet that does not excuse or justify the squad of the highly disappointing display in both Tests against the opposition.
Some big reputations suffered, and multiple individuals aspiring to lengthy Test careers were shown as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second series sweep on home soil suffered by India in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a remarkable 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a place in the WTC final.
The latest loss to the Proteas could damage India's chances of making the final of this edition as well.
After being third in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, India have dropped to fifth place. Even though nine more Tests are still to come, five of these are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a huge advantage - including against the mighty Aussies. However the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
India's weakness in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. However, why India have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil recently is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, India were considered invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on pitches that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an exception.
Today, the team appear to be vulnerable in their own backyard.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to favor their game went wrong completely, as the opposition used them more effectively, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
Some suggest that India is floundering at home because domestic pitches have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to perform better abroad.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars play, has reduced the surprise and difficulty home wickets would present to them before.
Even though there is some truth in these views, it fails to account for why India's performances on home soil have experienced such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
Most former players point to a multi-faceted challenge, not just one or two factors.
Critics and players have identified various flaws after the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, frequent changes of the playing XI, and emphasizing limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the squad.
Members such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - fell short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem didn't spare not only the cricketers - team selectors and backroom team were also criticized, spurred on by upset followers and critical former players. In the spotlight of the examination was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
