India's shocking 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It marked South Africa's maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and India's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum built over the past six months has almost disappeared and the careers of a number of cricketers - as well as team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The young team's commendable display in the UK this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a seamless changeover following the close together retirements of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the start of the domestic season boosted that belief, until the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Gill suffered an injury early on in the opening Test and was ruled out in the series. However, that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par performance in each match against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and a few members hoping for long red-ball careers were shown as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second series sweep on home soil experienced by India in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had pulled off a staggering 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a place in the WTC final.
The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming India's prospects of making the final of this season also.
After being third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, the side have dropped to fifth place. Though nine additional matches are remaining, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. However the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's weakness in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, why the team have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil recently is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were regarded as impregnable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an anomaly.
Now, the team look to be beatable in their own backyard.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The tracks they prepared to suit their strengths failed miserably, as opponents used them more effectively, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to train the squad to do well in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars play, has reduced the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would pose to them earlier.
Even though there is validity in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a multi-faceted challenge, not only one or two factors.
Experts and participants have identified several failings after India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and favoring white-ball over the longer format.
This was evident in the displays of the side.
Members such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - fell short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but inadequately to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The review didn't spare the entire setup - selectors and backroom team were also under fire, fuelled by upset followers and critical former players. At the centre of the criticism was mentor Gambhir.
During his post-series press
