The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, South Africa gave India a record defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. This represented the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's another home failure in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum gained during the past six months has all but vanished and the prospects of multiple squad members - as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The young team's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a smooth transition post the close together departures of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the commencement of the home season boosted that belief, until the South Africans came and inflicted a fell blow.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that leader Shubman Gill was injured quickly in the first Test and took no further part in the series. However, that does not excuse or justify the side of the terribly sub-par showing in both Tests against the opposition.
Several established players took a hit, and several players aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
It was the second clean sweep on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 win which effectively cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to South Africa risks harming the team's chances of making the showpiece of this season too.
After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Though nine further games are remaining, a majority are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a huge advantage - including against the mighty Aussies. But the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason the team have fared so badly in Tests on home soil recently is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an exception.
Now, the team seem vulnerable in their own backyard.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they prepared to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to quick wickets to prepare players to succeed abroad.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players play, has removed the surprise and difficulty home wickets would challenge them with in the past.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason India's performances at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players point to a multi-faceted challenge, not just a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have identified multiple deficiencies following the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, arrogance, frequent changes of the team lineup, and prioritising limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the squad.
Players like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - fell short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Management Questions
The post-mortem didn't spare the entire setup - selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, driven by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the examination was head coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
