India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, the visiting team gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It marked the Proteas' first series win in India in 25 years and the host nation's second defeat at home in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory established in the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the futures of multiple squad members - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The new-look squad's strong showing in England this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a smooth transition after the close together exits of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the commencement of the home season enhanced that perception, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were somewhat unlucky that captain Shubman Gill was injured very early in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the side of the well below standard performance in each match against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and multiple individuals aspiring to long red-ball careers were exposed as not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This represented the second whitewash at home suffered by India in just a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had secured a surprising 3-0 victory which practically cost India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa threatens to derail the team's prospects of reaching the showpiece of this edition also.
After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have fallen to the fifth spot. Though nine further games are still to come, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even when facing the strong Australian side. Yet the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
India's frailty in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. That said, the reason the team have fared so badly in Tests at home in recent times is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Now, the team appear to be easy pickings in their own backyard.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they developed to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as opponents exploited them better, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that the Indian team is failing at home because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to do well overseas.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has removed the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would pose to them before.
Even though there is validity in each argument, it fails to account for the reason India's performances at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complicated issue, not limited to one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have identified multiple deficiencies post the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, poor choices, arrogance, regular alterations of the playing XI, and prioritising white-ball over the longer format.
This was obvious in the performances of the team.
Members such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - fell short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but inadequately to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem also included just the players - the selection panel and backroom team were also under fire, fuelled by upset followers and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
