The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, the visiting team inflicted upon India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory established in the previous half-year has all but vanished and the prospects of multiple squad members - along with head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The young team's commendable display in England this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a seamless changeover after the near-simultaneous retirements of stalwarts R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the home season boosted that belief, until the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Gill was injured very early in the first Test and took no further part in the contest. But that neither explains nor absolves the side of the terribly sub-par performance in each match against the opposition.
Some big reputations took a hit, and multiple individuals aspiring to long red-ball careers were exposed as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second clean sweep on home soil endured by India in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had pulled off a surprising 3-0 win which essentially denied India a berth in the WTC final.
The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming the team's hopes of reaching the final of this cycle also.
After being third in the WTC table prior to the contest, the side have been relegated to number five. Though nine additional matches are remaining, a majority are against the Aussies. Typically, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - including against the mighty Aussies. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas leave little scope for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's vulnerability in Test cricket has been badly exposed. However, why the team have fared so badly in Tests on home soil in recent times 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 helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an exception.
Currently, India look to be easy pickings on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The pitches they prepared to favor their game failed miserably, as the opposition used them more effectively, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that the Indian team is floundering at home because domestic pitches have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to perform better overseas.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars play, has taken away the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would present to them before.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complicated issue, not limited to one or two factors.
Critics and players have pointed to multiple deficiencies post India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, poor choices, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and favoring limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the side.
Players such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - came up short in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not well enough to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem didn't spare the entire setup - team selectors and backroom team were also under fire, spurred on by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. At the centre of the examination was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
