The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recent Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, the visiting team handed India a record Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. It was South Africa's maiden series victory in the subcontinent in a quarter-century 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 last several months has all but vanished and the futures of several players - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The emerging side's strong showing in England this season, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a seamless changeover post the almost concurrent departures of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the start of the home season enhanced that perception, until the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the initial match and did not participate again in the series. However, that does not excuse or justify the team of the terribly sub-par showing in the two games against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and a few members hoping for extended tenures in Tests were exposed as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second clean sweep in home conditions suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 triumph which practically cost the hosts a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa threatens to derail the team's hopes of qualifying for the showpiece of this edition too.
From number three in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Even though nine additional matches are still to come, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. Yet the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's weakness in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home in recent times is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, India were seen as invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an anomaly.
Today, India appear to be vulnerable on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they prepared to suit their strengths failed miserably, as opponents exploited them better, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is failing at home because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to do well in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has reduced the surprise and difficulty home wickets would pose to them earlier.
Although there is validity in both analyses, it does not clarify why the team's showings on home soil have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have highlighted several failings post India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the team.
Cricketers such as Pant and Yashasvi 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 - fell short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not well enough to win matches.
Management Questions
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - selectors and backroom team were also questioned, spurred on by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the examination was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
