The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, South Africa handed India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and the host nation's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm built over the past six months has all but vanished and the futures of several players - along with head coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The young team's commendable display in the UK this season, under a different skipper, indicated a smooth transition after the almost concurrent departures of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over the Windies at the start of the home campaign boosted that belief, until the South Africans arrived to deliver a fell blow.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill got injured quickly in the initial match and took no further part in the series. However, that neither explains nor absolves the side of the well below standard showing in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and multiple individuals hoping for extended tenures in Tests were exposed as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second clean sweep at home suffered by the Indian team in just more than a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 win which essentially denied India a place in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to the Proteas could damage the team's hopes of qualifying for the final of this season too.
After being third in the Test championship standings before the series, India have dropped to number five. Although nine additional matches are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even when facing the powerful Australians. Yet the failures against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
India's vulnerability in Test cricket has been badly exposed. However, the reason the team have struggled so much in Tests at home recently is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as invincible in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that assisted spinners and benefited their players, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an anomaly.
Currently, the team seem beatable in their own backyard.
Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were beaten at their own game. The tracks they prepared to help their style backfired spectacularly, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the home team's players when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that India is struggling at home because domestic pitches have been altered from turners to quick wickets to train the squad to do well abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has taken away the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would present to them earlier.
Although there is some truth in both analyses, it still does not explain why the team's showings on home soil 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 pointed to various flaws after the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, regular alterations of the playing XI, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.
This was evident in the showings of the team.
Players like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - came up short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but not well enough to secure victories.
Management Questions
The post-mortem didn't spare not only the cricketers - selectors and support staff were also questioned, driven by distraught fans and vocal past stars. At the centre of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
