India's surprising 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded Test series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It was South Africa's maiden series victory in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory built over the past six months has almost disappeared and the futures of multiple squad members - as well as team coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this summer, under a new captain, pointed to a successful handover post the almost concurrent retirements of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the home season enhanced that perception, till the South Africans came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that captain Gill suffered an injury very early in the first Test and did not participate again in the series. But that fails to account for the team of the well below standard showing in each match against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and a few members aspiring to lengthy Test careers were shown as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second clean sweep in home conditions endured by India in just over a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 victory which effectively cost the hosts a spot in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to the Proteas could damage India's hopes of making the decider of this edition also.
From number three in the Test championship standings before the series, India have dropped to fifth place. Although nine further games are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Typically, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even when facing the powerful Australians. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been clearly revealed. That said, why India have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil in recent times is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, India were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an aberration.
Now, the team appear to be easy pickings at home.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they prepared to help their style failed miserably, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the home team's players when it was most crucial.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to quick wickets to train the squad to do well abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players play, has reduced the surprise and difficulty home wickets would challenge them with before.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it does not clarify why the side's results at home have experienced such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complicated issue, not just a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have identified multiple deficiencies post the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, frequent changes of the team lineup, and emphasizing limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the team.
Players such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - fell short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not well enough to secure victories.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem also included just the players - team selectors and backroom team were also criticized, driven by upset followers and critical former players. At the centre of the criticism was mentor Gambhir.
During his post-series press
