The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' first series win in India in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory built over the past six months has all but vanished and the prospects of a number of cricketers - including head mentor the coach - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Disappears
The new-look squad's strong showing in England this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a seamless changeover post the near-simultaneous exits of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over the Windies at the commencement of the home campaign strengthened that view, before the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the initial match and took no further part in the series. However, that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par display in both Tests against the opposition.
Several established players were damaged, and several players aspiring to lengthy Test careers were shown as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
This was the second series sweep at home suffered by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had pulled off a staggering 3-0 win which essentially denied India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming the team's prospects of qualifying for the final of this cycle too.
After being third in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have dropped to fifth place. Although nine further games are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even against the powerful Australians. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been clearly revealed. That said, why India have struggled so much in Tests on home soil recently is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, India were regarded as invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that assisted spinners and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an exception.
Now, India look to be beatable on home turf.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The tracks they prepared to help their style backfired spectacularly, as the opposition used them more effectively, outplaying the home team's players when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is failing at home because home surfaces have been altered from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to perform better abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players participate, has reduced the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would challenge them with before.
Although there is some truth in these views, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars point to a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a few causes.
Experts and participants have highlighted several failings following the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the team lineup, and favoring limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was evident in the displays of the team.
Members like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - fell short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The review also included just the players - team selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, fuelled by distraught fans and critical former players. Under focus of the examination was mentor Gambhir.
In his post-series press
