The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It was the Proteas' first series win in India in 25 years and the host nation's second defeat at home in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum established in the past six months has all but vanished and the futures of multiple squad members - along with head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The new-look squad's commendable display in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, indicated a successful handover after the close together departures of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the start of the home campaign enhanced that perception, until the Proteas arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill was injured quickly in the opening Test and was ruled out in the contest. But that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the terribly sub-par display in both Tests against the opposition.
Some big reputations took a hit, and several players hoping for long red-ball careers were exposed as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second whitewash in home conditions endured by India in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 victory which effectively cost the hosts a spot in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage India's prospects of reaching the decider of this edition also.
After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to number five. Though nine more Tests are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - including against the mighty Aussies. However the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas leave little scope for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
India's weakness in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason India have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil in recent times is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India brooked no opposition. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an anomaly.
Today, the team seem vulnerable on home turf.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they curated to favor their game went wrong completely, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the home team's players when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to succeed overseas.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players play, has removed the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would present to them in the past.
Even though there is some truth in each argument, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not just one or two factors.
Experts and participants have highlighted multiple deficiencies following the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, overconfidence, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the side.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - came up short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not well enough to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem also included not only the cricketers - the selection panel and backroom team were also under fire, spurred on by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the examination was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
