The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, South Africa gave India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. This represented South Africa's maiden series victory in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and the host nation's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum gained during the past six months has all but vanished and the futures of several players - as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The young team's commendable display in England this summer, under a new captain, pointed to a seamless changeover after the almost concurrent retirements of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign strengthened that view, till the Proteas came and inflicted a fell blow.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that captain Gill suffered an injury very early in the opening Test and was ruled out in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the terribly sub-par showing in each match against the opposition.
Some big reputations took a hit, and multiple individuals hoping for lengthy Test careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
It was the second clean sweep in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a surprising 3-0 win which practically cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming the team's prospects of qualifying for the showpiece of this edition as well.
Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to fifth place. Even though nine additional matches are yet to be played, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even when facing the strong Australian side. But the failures against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
India's frailty in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. However, the reason the team have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil recently is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that helped spin and benefited their players, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Currently, India appear to be beatable at home.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The pitches they prepared to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to succeed abroad.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars take part, has taken away the mystery and hardship home wickets would present to them earlier.
Even though there is some truth in these views, it still does not explain why the team's showings at home have seen such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complicated issue, not only one or two factors.
Critics and players have highlighted several failings following the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the playing XI, and prioritising white-ball over the longer format.
This was clear in the displays of the team.
Players such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - came up short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Management Questions
The analysis targeted the entire setup - selectors and backroom team were also under fire, fuelled by disappointed supporters and critical former players. Under focus of the examination was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
