The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. This represented South Africa's first series win in India in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory built over the previous half-year has all but vanished and the careers of multiple squad members - including head mentor the coach - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Disappears
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a new captain, indicated a seamless changeover following the almost concurrent departures of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the home campaign boosted that belief, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a fell blow.
The home side were a bit unlucky that leader Gill got injured quickly in the first Test and took no further part in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par display in each match against South Africa.
Some big reputations took a hit, and multiple individuals aspiring to lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
It was the second clean sweep on home soil suffered by India in just over a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had secured a surprising 3-0 win which practically cost the hosts a spot in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to South Africa threatens to derail the team's prospects of qualifying for the showpiece of this season also.
After being third in the WTC table prior to the contest, the side have dropped to fifth place. Though nine further games are yet to be played, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a major plus - even against the strong Australian side. But the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
India's weakness in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, the reason India have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil in recent times is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that helped spin and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an exception.
Now, the team appear to be easy pickings at home.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were beaten at their own game. The tracks they curated to favor their game went wrong completely, as rivals used them more effectively, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been altered from spinning tracks to fast tracks to prepare players to perform better in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars play, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would present to them earlier.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it does not clarify why the side's results on home soil have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players point to a complicated issue, not just one or two factors.
Experts and participants have identified various flaws post the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the squad.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - came up short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but inadequately to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem didn't spare just the players - team selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, spurred on by distraught fans and critical former players. At the centre of the criticism was team coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
