India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, the visiting team gave India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. This represented the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm built over the past six months has largely dissipated and the futures of several players - as well as team coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Disappears
The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a smooth transition after the almost concurrent retirements of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the beginning of the home season strengthened that view, until the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were somewhat unlucky that captain Gill was injured quickly in the opening Test and took no further part in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing display in both Tests against the opposition.
Some big reputations took a hit, and a few members hoping for long red-ball careers were shown as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
This was the second clean sweep at home experienced by India in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a remarkable 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage India's prospects of qualifying for the final of this edition too.
After being third in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Though nine additional matches are still to come, a majority are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a major plus - including against the mighty Aussies. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in Test cricket has been badly exposed. However, why the team have fared so badly in Tests on home soil recently is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, India were seen as invincible in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, India brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an aberration.
Today, the team appear to be beatable in their own backyard.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they prepared to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the home team's players when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to do well overseas.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players play, has taken away the mystery and hardship home wickets would pose to them in the past.
Even though there is some truth in both analyses, it still does not explain why India's performances on home soil have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted multiple deficiencies after India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, overconfidence, regular alterations of the playing XI, and favoring limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the side.
Members such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - were found wanting in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not well enough to secure victories.
Management Questions
The review targeted the entire setup - team selectors and backroom team were also criticized, driven by distraught fans and critical former players. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press