India's surprising 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' first series win in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum gained during the last several months has all but vanished and the futures of several players - as well as head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Disappears
The young team's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a new captain, pointed to a seamless changeover after the close together departures of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the commencement of the domestic season enhanced that perception, until the South Africans arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury quickly in the opening Test and was ruled out in the contest. But that neither explains nor absolves the side of the terribly sub-par showing in each match against the opposition.
Some big reputations suffered, and a few members aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were shown as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second whitewash on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had secured a surprising 3-0 triumph which effectively cost India a spot in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage the team's hopes of making the final of this cycle also.
From number three in the WTC rankings before the series, India have dropped to fifth place. Though nine additional matches are remaining, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even against the powerful Australians. However the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
India's weakness in the longer format has been badly exposed. However, why India have struggled so much in Tests on home soil lately is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that assisted spinners and benefited their players, India faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, such as in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an aberration.
Today, the team look to be beatable on home turf.
Versus the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they developed to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as rivals exploited them better, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that India is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to perform better abroad.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would pose to them before.
Although there is validity in each argument, it fails to account for why the team's showings at home have experienced such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not just one or two factors.
Critics and players have highlighted various flaws after the team's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the playing XI, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.
This was evident in the performances of the team.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - were found wanting in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis also included the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, driven by upset followers and critical former players. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
