The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. This represented the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm gained during the previous half-year has all but vanished and the futures of multiple squad members - as well as head coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The emerging side's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a new captain, indicated a successful handover after the almost concurrent retirements of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the home campaign enhanced that perception, until the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.
India were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill got injured early on in the initial match and was ruled out in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par performance in both Tests against the opposition.
Some big reputations were damaged, and a few members aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second clean sweep on home soil endured by India in just over a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 triumph which practically cost the hosts a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa threatens to derail India's prospects of qualifying for the showpiece of this cycle as well.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to fifth place. Although nine further games are remaining, a majority are against the Aussies. Typically, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even when facing the strong Australian side. But the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
India's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Tests at home in recent times is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, India were considered invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Today, the team seem beatable in their own backyard.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The pitches they developed to help their style backfired spectacularly, as opponents exploited them better, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Some suggest that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to succeed in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has removed the mystery and hardship home wickets would pose to them before.
While there is validity in both analyses, it still does not explain why India's performances at home have seen such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars identify a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to one or two factors.
Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies after India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the side.
Members like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - came up short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but inadequately to secure victories.
Management Questions
The review also included not only the cricketers - the selection panel and coaching staff were also questioned, driven by upset followers and vocal past stars. Under focus of the scrutiny was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
