India's surprising 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It was the Proteas' maiden series victory in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory built over the previous half-year has all but vanished and the prospects of a number of cricketers - as well as team coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The young team's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a successful handover following the close together retirements of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over the Windies at the start of the home season boosted that belief, until the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.
India were a tad unfortunate that leader Shubman Gill got injured very early in the initial match and was ruled out in the series. But that fails to account for the squad of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against the opposition.
Some big reputations were damaged, and multiple individuals eyeing long red-ball careers were exposed as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the format.
Concerning History
This was the second series sweep at home suffered by India in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had pulled off a staggering 3-0 triumph which practically cost the hosts a place in the WTC final.
The latest loss to South Africa risks harming the team's hopes of qualifying for the decider of this season as well.
From number three in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, the side have fallen to number five. Although nine further games are yet to be played, a majority are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - including against the strong Australian side. However the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
India's weakness in the longer format has been clearly revealed. That said, why the team have struggled so much in Tests on home soil recently is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an anomaly.
Now, the team seem easy pickings at home.
Facing New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, India were beaten at their own game. The pitches they developed to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the home team's players when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that India is struggling in home conditions because home surfaces have been changed from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to succeed in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players participate, has removed the surprise and difficulty home wickets would challenge them with in the past.
Although there is some truth in each argument, it still does not explain why the side's results on home soil have seen such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have identified several failings post India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the squad.
Members like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - came up short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis didn't spare just the players - the selection panel and support staff were also under fire, spurred on by distraught fans and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the criticism was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
