The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, South Africa handed India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in 25 years and the host nation's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum built over the previous half-year has all but vanished and the futures of several players - including head coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's commendable display in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a successful handover after the close together departures of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season strengthened that view, until the South Africans arrived to deliver a fell blow.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill was injured very early in the initial match and took no further part in the contest. However, that does not excuse or justify the side of the terribly sub-par display in both Tests against the opposition.
Some big reputations suffered, and multiple individuals hoping for lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second clean sweep on home soil endured by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had secured a remarkable 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a spot in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's prospects of qualifying for the decider of this cycle as well.
After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to number five. Though nine more Tests are remaining, a majority are against Australia. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even when facing the powerful Australians. However the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
India's weakness in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, why the team have fared so badly in Tests on home soil lately is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Now, India look to be beatable at home.
Versus the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they prepared to help their style failed miserably, as the opposition used them more effectively, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that India is floundering at home because home surfaces have been changed from spinning tracks to quick wickets to prepare players to succeed overseas.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players take part, has taken away the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would challenge them with earlier.
Even though there is some truth in these views, it fails to account for the reason India's performances at home have seen such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have identified several failings following the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the team.
Members such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - were found wanting in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also under fire, driven by upset followers and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
