The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. This represented South Africa's maiden series victory in India in 25 years and India's another home failure in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum gained during the last several months has all but vanished and the careers of a number of cricketers - including team coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The emerging side's commendable display in England this season, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a smooth transition following the close together exits of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the home campaign boosted that belief, before the South Africans turned up and handed out a fell blow.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that skipper Shubman Gill got injured very early in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. Yet that fails to account for the squad of the terribly sub-par showing in each match against South Africa.
Several established players suffered, and multiple individuals eyeing long red-ball careers were shown as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This was the second clean sweep in home conditions suffered by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a remarkable 3-0 win which effectively cost India a berth in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail India's prospects of making the showpiece of this season also.
After being third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to the fifth spot. Although nine additional matches are yet to be played, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even when facing the mighty Aussies. However the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been clearly revealed. However, the reason the team have fared so badly in Tests on home soil in recent times is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were considered unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts brooked no opposition. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Today, the team appear to be beatable at home.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they curated to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as opponents exploited them better, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that India is struggling in home conditions because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to quick wickets to train the squad to succeed in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has removed the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would challenge them with in the past.
Even though there is some truth in these views, it fails to account for why the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a multi-faceted challenge, not just one or two factors.
Critics and players have highlighted various flaws following the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, regular alterations of the playing XI, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.
This was clear in the performances of the squad.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - fell short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to claim wins.
Management Questions
The analysis also included the entire setup - team selectors and backroom team were also under fire, spurred on by upset followers and vocal past stars. Under focus of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
