India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recent Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, the visiting team gave India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's another home failure in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory built over the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the careers of a number of cricketers - along with head coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Disappears
The new-look squad's commendable display in England this season, under a fresh leadership, indicated a seamless changeover after the almost concurrent departures of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the beginning of the home campaign boosted that belief, till the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that leader Gill got injured quickly in the opening Test and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the side of the highly disappointing display in the two games against South Africa.
Several established players took a hit, and a few members hoping for extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This was the second whitewash on home soil suffered by India in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a remarkable 3-0 triumph which effectively cost India a spot in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to South Africa threatens to derail the team's chances of making the final of this season as well.
After being third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, India have dropped to number five. Though nine further games are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's vulnerability in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, the reason the team have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil lately is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an aberration.
Now, the team appear to be beatable at home.
Facing New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, India were beaten at their own game. The tracks they developed to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals exploited them better, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that the Indian team is floundering at home because home surfaces have been altered from turners to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to perform better in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has removed the surprise and difficulty home wickets would challenge them with in the past.
While there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it does not clarify why the side's results at home have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars identify a complicated issue, not limited to a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted multiple deficiencies following India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the side.
Cricketers like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - came up short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem also included just the players - team selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, driven by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the examination was mentor Gambhir.
In his post-series press
