The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recent Test series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, the visiting team gave India a record defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in 25 years and the host nation's another home failure in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm built over the past six months has all but vanished and the careers of multiple squad members - as well as team coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Disappears
The young team's strong showing in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a smooth transition post the almost concurrent exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the start of the domestic season boosted that belief, before the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Gill suffered an injury early on in the opening Test and did not participate again in the series. But that fails to account for the squad of the well below standard showing in the two games against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and several players aspiring to long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second series sweep at home suffered by India in just more than a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to South Africa threatens to derail the team's chances of reaching the final of this edition also.
From number three in the WTC table before the series, the side have been relegated to the fifth spot. Though nine more Tests are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even against the mighty Aussies. But the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
India's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home lately is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were seen as unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an anomaly.
Now, the team seem vulnerable at home.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that India is failing at home because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to perform better abroad.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars participate, has removed the surprise and difficulty home wickets would present to them before.
While there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it fails to account for the reason the team's showings on home soil have experienced such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
Most former players diagnose a complicated issue, not just a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted various flaws after India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the team.
Members like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - were found wanting in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but inadequately to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also under fire, fuelled by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
