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.
Just days ago, the visiting team inflicted upon India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It was South Africa's maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum built over the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the careers of a number of cricketers - as well as team coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Disappears
The young team's impressive performance in England this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a seamless changeover post the almost concurrent exits of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over West Indies at the start of the home season enhanced that perception, before the Proteas turned up and handed out a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that leader Shubman Gill got injured early on 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 both Tests against the opposition.
Some big reputations took a hit, and several players eyeing long red-ball careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
This represented the second clean sweep at home suffered by India in just over a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had pulled off a staggering 3-0 win which practically cost India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas risks harming the team's hopes of reaching the showpiece of this season as well.
From number three in the WTC table prior to the contest, the side have been relegated to number five. Though nine additional matches are remaining, a majority are against Australia. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even against the strong Australian side. But the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
India's vulnerability in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, the reason India have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil lately is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an anomaly.
Now, India appear to be easy pickings on home turf.
Against New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to help their style failed miserably, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to succeed in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players participate, has removed the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would present to them before.
Although there is validity in these views, it fails to account for the reason India's performances on home soil have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
Most former players identify a multi-faceted challenge, not only a few causes.
Experts and participants have identified multiple deficiencies after the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, arrogance, frequent changes of the team lineup, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the squad.
Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - came up short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis targeted the entire setup - selectors and backroom team were also under fire, driven by upset followers and critical former players. At the centre of the criticism was team coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
