India's shocking 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recent Test series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. This represented the Proteas' first series win in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory gained during the past six months has all but vanished and the futures of multiple squad members - along with team coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The young team's commendable display in England this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a seamless changeover following the near-simultaneous exits of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the commencement of the domestic season boosted that belief, till the Proteas turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury quickly in the opening Test and was ruled out in the series. Yet that does not excuse or justify the team of the terribly sub-par showing in both Tests against the opposition.
Several established players suffered, and several players eyeing extended tenures in Tests were shown as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the format.
Concerning History
This represented the second clean sweep on home soil endured by the Indian team in just more than a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had pulled off a staggering 3-0 triumph which practically cost the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa threatens to derail India's hopes of reaching the showpiece of this season as well.
From number three in the WTC table before the series, India have dropped to fifth place. Even though nine additional matches are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Usually, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. Yet the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, why India have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil lately is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, India were seen as unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on surfaces that helped spin and benefited their players, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Now, India seem vulnerable on home turf.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, India were beaten at their own game. The tracks they prepared to favor their game went wrong completely, as rivals exploited them better, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because home surfaces have been changed from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to perform better in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which several international stars take part, has taken away the surprise and difficulty home wickets would present to them in the past.
While there is some truth in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the side's results at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complicated issue, not just one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to various flaws post India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over the longer format.
This was evident in the displays of the team.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - were found wanting in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not well enough to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The review targeted the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also criticized, driven by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
