The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the just finished Test 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 was South Africa's maiden series victory in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum built over the past six months has almost disappeared and the careers of a number of cricketers - along with head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this season, under a different skipper, suggested a seamless changeover post the close together retirements of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over West Indies at the commencement of the home season boosted that belief, before the Proteas turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the first Test and took no further part in the series. However, that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par performance in both Tests against the opposition.
Several established players took a hit, and multiple individuals aspiring to long red-ball careers were exposed as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the format.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second series sweep at home endured by India in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had pulled off a surprising 3-0 victory which effectively cost the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's prospects of qualifying for the final of this season too.
After being third in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, India have dropped to number five. Though nine more Tests are remaining, a majority are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. Yet the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
India's vulnerability in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why India have fared so badly in Test matches at home in recent times is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that assisted spinners and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an anomaly.
Today, the team seem beatable in their own backyard.
Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the home team's players when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that India is struggling at home because local wickets have been modified 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 participate, has reduced the surprise and difficulty home wickets would challenge them with earlier.
Although there is validity in each argument, it fails to account for why India's performances at home have experienced such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars identify a complicated issue, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies following India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the team.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - were found wanting in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Management Questions
The post-mortem didn't spare just the players - the selection panel and coaching staff were also criticized, driven by distraught fans and vocal past stars. At the centre of the scrutiny was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
