India's surprising 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, the visiting team handed India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It was South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and the host nation's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum built over the past six months has largely dissipated and the careers of several players - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Disappears
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a seamless changeover post the near-simultaneous retirements of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the start of the home season enhanced that perception, until the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that leader Gill suffered an injury early on in the first Test and took no further part in the contest. However, that does not excuse or justify the team of the well below standard performance in each match against the opposition.
Several established players suffered, and a few members eyeing extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second series sweep in home conditions suffered by India in just over a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had achieved a remarkable 3-0 victory which effectively cost the hosts a berth in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to South Africa risks harming the team's prospects of reaching the showpiece of this edition as well.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, India have fallen to number five. Although nine further games are still to come, five of these are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a significant benefit - including against the mighty Aussies. However the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's weakness in the longer format has been clearly revealed. That said, why India have fared so badly in Tests at home lately is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, India were considered impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that helped spin and benefited their players, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an anomaly.
Currently, the team seem vulnerable on home turf.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they developed to help their style failed miserably, as rivals used them more effectively, beating the home team's players when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is struggling in home conditions because local wickets have been modified from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to do well in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would pose to them before.
While there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it fails to account for why the side's results on home soil have seen such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players diagnose a complicated issue, not limited to one or two factors.
Experts and participants have pointed to several failings post the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over the longer format.
This was obvious in the showings of the team.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi 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 spot in the side - fell short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but not well enough to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The review also included the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also criticized, spurred on by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the scrutiny was head coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
