The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recent Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. This represented South Africa's initial series triumph in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum established in the last several months has all but vanished and the prospects of multiple squad members - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The young team's strong showing in England this season, under a different skipper, suggested a smooth transition after the near-simultaneous departures of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the domestic season boosted that belief, before the Proteas turned up and handed out a fell blow.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Gill got injured quickly in the initial match and did not participate again in the series. But that fails to account for the side of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against South Africa.
Some big reputations suffered, and multiple individuals aspiring to long red-ball careers were shown as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Worrying Trend
This was the second series sweep in home conditions suffered by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 win which practically cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to South Africa threatens to derail the team's chances of making the decider of this cycle as well.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings before the series, India have fallen to number five. Though nine further games are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Usually, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even when facing the mighty Aussies. But the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
India's weakness in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason the team have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil in recent times is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an aberration.
Now, the team look to be easy pickings on home turf.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they developed to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the home team's players when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that India is floundering at home because home surfaces have been changed from turners to quick wickets to prepare players to do well abroad.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players take part, has taken away the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would pose to them earlier.
While there is some truth in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the team's showings on home soil have experienced such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to multiple deficiencies following India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, regular alterations of the playing XI, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the squad.
Players such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - were found wanting in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Management Questions
The review targeted not only the cricketers - team selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, spurred on by upset followers and critical former players. At the centre of the examination was team coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
