India's unexpected 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, South Africa handed India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' maiden series victory in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum established in the past six months has all but vanished and the futures of several players - along with head coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The emerging side's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, suggested a successful handover following the near-simultaneous exits of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the home season strengthened that view, until the Proteas turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Gill suffered an injury early on in the initial match and took no further part in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing showing in each match against the opposition.
Several established players suffered, and a few members aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This was the second clean sweep in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 victory which practically cost India a place in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to South Africa risks harming India's hopes of reaching the showpiece of this edition too.
After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Even though nine additional matches are remaining, five of these are against Australia. Usually, playing at home would be a major plus - including against the mighty Aussies. However the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's vulnerability in the longer format has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why India have performed so poorly in Test matches at home in recent times is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, India were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on tracks that helped spin and benefited their players, India brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an exception.
Now, the team seem beatable in their own backyard.
Versus New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The tracks they developed to help their style failed miserably, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from turners to quick wickets to prepare players to perform better in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the IPL, in which several international stars take part, has taken away the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would pose to them in the past.
While there is some truth in each argument, it does not clarify the reason the team's showings on home soil have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars identify a complicated issue, not just a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to multiple deficiencies post India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, overconfidence, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over Test cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the squad.
Players like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - came up short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but inadequately to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The review targeted the entire setup - selectors and backroom team were also questioned, driven by distraught fans and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the examination was team coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
