The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record Test defeat by runs, 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 decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum built over the last several months has almost disappeared and the prospects of a number of cricketers - as well as head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a different skipper, suggested a smooth transition after the close together retirements of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the beginning of the home season boosted that belief, till the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Shubman Gill got injured very early in the initial match and did not participate again in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the side of the terribly sub-par display in each match against South Africa.
Several established players suffered, and several players eyeing long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second clean sweep at home suffered by India in just a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had achieved a surprising 3-0 triumph which essentially denied the hosts a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage the team's prospects of making the showpiece of this season as well.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table prior to the contest, the side have dropped to the fifth spot. Although nine more Tests are remaining, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even when facing the powerful Australians. However the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
India's vulnerability in the longer format has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why the team have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil lately is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an aberration.
Today, India look to be beatable at home.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to help their style backfired spectacularly, as rivals exploited them better, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to succeed abroad.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would pose to them earlier.
While there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for why the side's results at home have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players point to a complicated issue, not limited to one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have identified multiple deficiencies after the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and favoring limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the team.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - were found wanting in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but inadequately to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem didn't spare just the players - selectors and support staff were also questioned, fuelled by distraught fans and critical former players. Under focus of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
