India's unexpected 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recent Test series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It marked South Africa's maiden series victory in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and the host nation's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory established in the previous half-year has all but vanished and the futures of a number of cricketers - along with team coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Disappears
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a new captain, indicated a smooth transition after the close together departures of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the start of the home campaign strengthened that view, until the South Africans arrived to deliver a fell blow.
India were somewhat unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill got injured quickly in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the team of the well below standard display in each match against the opposition.
Some big reputations took a hit, and multiple individuals hoping for long red-ball careers were exposed as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
It was the second whitewash in home conditions experienced by the Indian team in just more than a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 win which essentially denied India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage India's prospects of qualifying for the showpiece of this cycle also.
After being third in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, India have fallen to fifth place. Though nine more Tests are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - including against the powerful Australians. However the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home in recent times is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were considered invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an aberration.
Today, the team seem beatable in their own backyard.
Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas currently, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they curated to help their style backfired spectacularly, as the opposition exploited them better, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that India is failing at home because home surfaces have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to succeed overseas.
A few mention that the IPL, in which many overseas players play, has removed the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would present to them before.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it still does not explain why the side's results at home have seen such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complicated issue, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to several failings following the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and favoring limited-overs over the longer format.
This was evident in the displays of the team.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - were found wanting in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Management Questions
The review targeted the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, fuelled by upset followers and critical former players. Under focus of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
