The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. This represented the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's second defeat at home in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum built over the previous half-year has all but vanished and the prospects of multiple squad members - including head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The emerging side's strong showing in England this season, under a fresh leadership, suggested a seamless changeover following the near-simultaneous departures of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the home campaign boosted that belief, before the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
India were somewhat unlucky that captain Gill was injured quickly in the initial match and took no further part in the contest. But that fails to account for the team of the highly disappointing display in the two games against South Africa.
Some big reputations took a hit, and multiple individuals aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
It was the second whitewash on home soil endured by India in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had pulled off a surprising 3-0 triumph which effectively cost India a place in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to South Africa could damage India's prospects of reaching the decider of this cycle also.
From number three in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to number five. Even though nine further games are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. 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 red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, why the team have fared so badly in Test matches at home recently is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were regarded as impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an anomaly.
Currently, India appear to be vulnerable on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, India were beaten at their own game. The tracks they prepared to favor their game went wrong completely, as the opposition exploited them better, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to succeed in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has reduced the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would challenge them with in the past.
While there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it still does not explain why India's performances on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to various flaws following the team's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was evident in the displays of the squad.
Members like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - fell short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - selectors and backroom team were also under fire, driven by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the examination was team coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
