The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recent Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' maiden series victory in India 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 established in the past six months has almost disappeared and the careers of multiple squad members - as well as head mentor the coach - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a new captain, indicated a seamless changeover after the near-simultaneous retirements of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the start of the home season enhanced that perception, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
India were somewhat unlucky that leader Shubman Gill was injured very early in the first Test and took no further part in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the side of the terribly sub-par performance in each match against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and a few members hoping for long red-ball careers were exposed as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second series sweep at home experienced by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 win which practically cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage the team's prospects of qualifying for the final of this edition as well.
From number three in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have fallen to fifth place. Though nine more Tests are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Usually, playing at home would be a major plus - even when facing the powerful Australians. However the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil recently is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as impregnable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on surfaces that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts brooked no opposition. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an anomaly.
Today, India seem beatable in their own backyard.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The tracks they curated to help their style failed miserably, as rivals used them more effectively, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is struggling at home because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to perform better in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars take part, has taken away the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would pose to them in the past.
Even though there is some truth in each argument, it fails to account for the reason the team's showings at home have seen such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have highlighted various flaws after the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the team lineup, and favoring limited-overs over the longer format.
This was evident in the showings of the team.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - were found wanting in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Management Questions
The review targeted not only the cricketers - the selection panel and backroom team were also criticized, spurred on by distraught fans and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the examination was mentor Gambhir.
At his post-series press
