India's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, the visiting team handed India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It marked South Africa's initial series triumph in India in two and a half decades and India's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum established in the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the careers of multiple squad members - along with team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Disappears
The emerging side's impressive performance in England this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a successful handover following the near-simultaneous retirements of stalwarts R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the start of the domestic season strengthened that view, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
India were somewhat unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill was injured very early in the first Test and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the squad of the well below standard display in the two games against South Africa.
Several established players suffered, and several players hoping for long red-ball careers were exposed as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This was the second series sweep on home soil experienced by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa could damage the team's hopes of making the final of this season as well.
After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Though nine more Tests are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even against the powerful Australians. But the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, why the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home recently is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that assisted spinners and aided their squad, the hosts brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Today, the team look to be easy pickings on home turf.
Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they curated to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as opponents used them more effectively, outplaying the home team's players when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is floundering at home because home surfaces have been changed from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to succeed overseas.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has taken away the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would pose to them earlier.
Even though there is some truth in both analyses, it fails to account for why the side's results on home soil have seen such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not just one or two factors.
Critics and players have identified several failings after the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the team lineup, and favoring limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was clear in the performances of the side.
Players like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - came up short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Management Questions
The analysis also included the entire setup - the selection panel and backroom team were also questioned, driven by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the criticism was team coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
