The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recent Test series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, South Africa gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm gained during the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the futures of a number of cricketers - as well as head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Disappears
The emerging side's commendable display in England this summer, under a new captain, suggested a successful handover after the almost concurrent retirements of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the domestic season boosted that belief, till the Proteas arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
India were somewhat unlucky that captain Gill got injured quickly in the initial match and took no further part in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the terribly sub-par performance in each match against South Africa.
Some big reputations suffered, and a few members eyeing lengthy Test careers were exposed as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This was the second whitewash on home soil experienced by India in just over a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had pulled off a surprising 3-0 triumph which practically cost the hosts a spot in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to the Proteas could damage the team's hopes of reaching the final of this edition also.
From number three in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, India have fallen to number five. Although nine more Tests are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even against the mighty Aussies. However the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
India's weakness in the longer format has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, the reason the team have struggled so much in Tests at home in recent times is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against England, was considered an anomaly.
Today, the team look to be vulnerable in their own backyard.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they curated to help their style backfired spectacularly, as rivals exploited them better, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because local wickets have been modified from turners to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to succeed in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players play, has reduced the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would pose to them before.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it still does not explain the reason the side's results at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complicated issue, not just a few causes.
Critics and players have highlighted various flaws post India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the squad.
Players like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - came up short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - team selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, fuelled by upset followers and critical former players. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
