India's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recent Test series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa gave India a record defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory built over the past six months has all but vanished and the careers of several players - including team coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Disappears
The new-look squad's commendable display in England this season, under a different skipper, suggested a successful handover after the close together exits of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over West Indies at the start of the domestic season boosted that belief, before the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill was injured quickly in the opening Test and did not participate again in the contest. But that does not excuse or justify the side of the well below standard performance in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players took a hit, and a few members hoping for long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This was the second series sweep at home experienced by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had achieved a remarkable 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a spot in the WTC final.
The latest loss to the Proteas threatens to derail India's chances of reaching the decider of this edition also.
After being third in the WTC table prior to the contest, India have fallen to number five. Although nine additional matches are yet to be played, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, playing at home would be a significant benefit - including against the mighty Aussies. Yet the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
India's frailty in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, the reason India have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil lately is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, India were regarded as invincible in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an exception.
Today, India look to be easy pickings in their own backyard.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa this year, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they prepared to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that India is floundering at home because home surfaces have been altered from spinning tracks to quick wickets to prepare players to do well in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has reduced the mystery and hardship home wickets would present to them in the past.
While there is validity in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the team's showings on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have identified several failings post India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and favoring limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the squad.
Cricketers like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - fell short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not well enough to secure victories.
Management Questions
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - the selection panel and backroom team were also criticized, fuelled by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
