India's surprising 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. It was the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm gained during the last several months has largely dissipated and the futures of multiple squad members - including head mentor the coach - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The young team's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a smooth transition following the near-simultaneous retirements of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the domestic season strengthened that view, till the South Africans came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
India were somewhat unlucky that leader Gill got injured early on in the first Test and took no further part in the contest. However, that does not excuse or justify the team of the terribly sub-par display in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and multiple individuals aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were shown as not up to the mark - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This represented the second clean sweep on home soil suffered by India in just a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a remarkable 3-0 win which essentially denied India a spot in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to the Proteas risks harming India's prospects of qualifying for the decider of this edition as well.
From number three in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Though nine more Tests are remaining, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even against the strong Australian side. But the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. That said, the reason India have performed so poorly in Test matches at home recently is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that assisted spinners and aided their squad, the hosts brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an exception.
Today, India look to be easy pickings in their own backyard.
Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they curated to help their style failed miserably, as the opposition used them more effectively, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is failing at home because home surfaces have been altered from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to do well in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would pose to them before.
Although there is validity in both analyses, it still does not explain why the side's results on home soil have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not only one or two factors.
Experts and participants have highlighted various flaws post the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.
This was evident in the performances of the side.
Members such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - came up short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not well enough to win matches.
Management Questions
The post-mortem also included just the players - team selectors and support staff were also criticized, fuelled by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
