The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded Test series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum established in the past six months has all but vanished and the prospects of multiple squad members - including head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Disappears
The new-look squad's strong showing in England this season, under a new captain, indicated a successful handover following the almost concurrent exits of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the home season enhanced that perception, before the Proteas turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
India were somewhat unlucky that captain Shubman Gill was injured early on in the opening Test and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the well below standard display in both Tests against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and several players eyeing extended tenures in Tests were shown as not up to the mark - technically or mentally - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second whitewash in home conditions endured by India in just more than a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a surprising 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas could damage the team's prospects of reaching the final of this season too.
From number three in the WTC table prior to the contest, the side have been relegated to fifth place. Though nine further games are remaining, half of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a huge advantage - including against the strong Australian side. But the failures against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's weakness in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, why the team have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil in recent times is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were considered invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on pitches that helped spin and benefited their players, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an aberration.
Today, the team look to be easy pickings at home.
Versus New Zealand in last year 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 exploited them better, outplaying the home team's players when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling at home because home surfaces have been altered from spinning tracks to fast tracks to train the squad to do well abroad.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players participate, has taken away the mystery and hardship home wickets would challenge them with earlier.
Even though there is some truth in both analyses, it fails to account for why India's performances at home have experienced such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complicated issue, not just a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have identified several failings after India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and prioritising limited-overs over the longer format.
This was obvious in the showings of the side.
Cricketers like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - came up short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but inadequately to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The review didn't spare just the players - the selection panel and backroom team were also criticized, driven by upset followers and critical former players. In the spotlight of the criticism was mentor Gambhir.
At his post-series press
