The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recent Test series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa gave India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has almost disappeared and the futures of several players - including head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Disappears
The young team's impressive performance in England this season, under a new captain, pointed to a successful handover post the close together exits of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the domestic season boosted that belief, before the South Africans arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman 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 highly disappointing display in each match against South Africa.
Some big reputations were damaged, and multiple individuals eyeing extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second series sweep on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a surprising 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a place in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to South Africa risks harming India's chances of reaching the final of this edition also.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings before the series, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Though nine more Tests are remaining, a majority are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - including against the mighty Aussies. However the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, why India have struggled so much in Tests at home in recent times is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were seen as unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, such as in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an exception.
Today, India look to be easy pickings on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they curated to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as opponents exploited them better, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What Happened?
Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to do well in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars play, has reduced the surprise and difficulty home wickets would present to them earlier.
While there is validity in each argument, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings on home soil have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars diagnose a complicated issue, not limited to one or two factors.
Critics and players have identified multiple deficiencies following the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, frequent changes of the team lineup, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was evident in the displays of the squad.
Players like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - were found wanting in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not well enough to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, fuelled by distraught fans and vocal past stars. Under focus of the criticism was mentor Gambhir.
At his post-series press
