The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, South Africa inflicted upon India a record loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and the host nation's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm established in the past six months has largely dissipated and the futures of a number of cricketers - along with head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Disappears
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a new captain, pointed to a seamless changeover after the near-simultaneous departures of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the start of the domestic season strengthened that view, till the Proteas turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury 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 performance in each match against the opposition.
Several established players took a hit, and a few members aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second series sweep on home soil experienced by the Indian team in just over a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a surprising 3-0 win which practically cost the hosts a spot in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming India's prospects of making the final of this edition also.
After being third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, the side have dropped to the fifth spot. Although nine further games are remaining, a majority are against Australia. Usually, competing on home turf would be a major plus - including against the mighty Aussies. However the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
India's frailty in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Tests at home lately is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an anomaly.
Today, India seem easy pickings at home.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were beaten at their own game. The pitches they developed to help their style backfired spectacularly, as rivals exploited them better, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that India is floundering at home because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to prepare players to perform better overseas.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would pose to them earlier.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it still does not explain why the side's results at home have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not just one or two factors.
Experts and participants have highlighted multiple deficiencies following the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, arrogance, regular alterations of the team lineup, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.
This was obvious in the showings of the squad.
Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - were found wanting in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, fuelled by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. Under focus of the scrutiny was mentor Gambhir.
In his post-series press
