The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, South Africa gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in 25 years and the host nation's another home failure in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm gained during the previous half-year has all but vanished and the careers of multiple squad members - including head mentor the coach - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Disappears
The young team's impressive performance in England this season, under a different skipper, suggested a successful handover following the near-simultaneous departures of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the home campaign boosted that belief, till the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill got injured early on in the initial match and was ruled out in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against the opposition.
Some big reputations suffered, and a few members hoping for lengthy Test careers were shown as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This was the second clean sweep in home conditions endured by India in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had secured a remarkable 3-0 win which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming the team's chances of making the decider of this cycle also.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Even though nine further games are remaining, a majority are against Australia. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even when facing the mighty Aussies. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in Test cricket has been badly exposed. However, the reason the team have struggled so much in Tests on home soil recently is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that assisted spinners and benefited their players, India faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an anomaly.
Currently, the team seem beatable in their own backyard.
Versus the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they developed to help their style backfired spectacularly, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the home team's players when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that India is struggling in home conditions because home surfaces have been changed from turners to fast tracks to prepare players to succeed overseas.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars participate, has reduced the surprise and difficulty home wickets would present to them in the past.
While there is some truth in these views, it fails to account for the reason the side's results at home have experienced such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a multi-faceted challenge, not only a few causes.
Experts and participants have pointed to various flaws after India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, regular alterations of the team lineup, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the displays of the side.
Members such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - were found wanting in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also questioned, fuelled by disappointed supporters and critical former players. Under focus of the scrutiny was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
