The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recent Test series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, South Africa inflicted upon India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It marked the Proteas' first series win in India in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the careers of several players - including team coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's commendable display in the UK this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a seamless changeover after the close together retirements of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the start of the home season strengthened that view, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Gill was injured very early in the initial match and did not participate again in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the highly disappointing performance in each match against the opposition.
Several established players were damaged, and multiple individuals hoping for long red-ball careers were shown as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
This was the second whitewash on home soil experienced by India in just over a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 win which practically cost the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming the team's hopes of making the decider of this season too.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings before the series, India have been relegated to number five. Although nine additional matches are still to come, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
India's weakness in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. However, the reason the team have struggled so much in Tests on home soil lately is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, India were seen as unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an exception.
Now, the team appear to be vulnerable on home turf.
Versus New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they developed to help their style went wrong completely, as the opposition exploited them better, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that India is floundering at home because local wickets have been changed from spinning tracks to fast tracks to prepare players to perform better in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has taken away the surprise and difficulty home wickets would pose to them earlier.
Even though there is some truth in each argument, it still does not explain the reason India's performances at home have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players point to a multi-faceted challenge, not just a few causes.
Critics and players have identified multiple deficiencies following India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, poor choices, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the showings of the squad.
Cricketers like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - were found wanting in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem targeted just the players - selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, spurred on by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
