The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, the visiting team inflicted upon India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. This represented South Africa's first series win in India in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum established in the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the futures of a number of cricketers - including head coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, indicated a smooth transition after the almost concurrent exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season boosted that belief, until the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.
India were somewhat unlucky that leader Gill suffered an injury early on in the opening Test and did not participate again in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the well below standard display in the two games against South Africa.
Several established players suffered, and several players hoping for extended tenures in Tests were exposed as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
It was the second clean sweep on home soil suffered by India in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 win which effectively cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to South Africa threatens to derail the team's prospects of making the showpiece of this season as well.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table prior to the contest, India have been relegated to fifth place. Even though nine additional matches are yet to be played, a majority are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even when facing the powerful Australians. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
India's vulnerability in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why the team have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil lately is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, India brooked no opposition. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an exception.
Currently, the team look to be easy pickings at home.
Facing New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they developed to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals used them more effectively, beating the home team's players when it was most crucial.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that India is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from spinning tracks to quick wickets to prepare players to succeed overseas.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would pose to them in the past.
Even though there is validity in both analyses, it fails to account for why the team's showings on home soil have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not only one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted various flaws following the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the team.
Cricketers such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - came up short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not well enough to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, spurred on by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. At the centre of the examination was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press