India's shocking 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in 25 years and India's another home failure in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum gained during the past six months has all but vanished and the futures of a number of cricketers - as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The young team's impressive performance in England this summer, under a new captain, indicated a smooth transition post the almost concurrent departures of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the beginning of the domestic season strengthened that view, till the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.
The home side were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill suffered an injury early on in the opening Test and did not participate again in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the side of the terribly sub-par showing in both Tests against the opposition.
Some big reputations suffered, and several players eyeing long red-ball careers were exposed as not up to the mark - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This was the second whitewash at home suffered by India in just more than a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had pulled off a surprising 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a place in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to South Africa threatens to derail the team's hopes of making the decider of this edition as well.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have fallen to fifth place. Though nine additional matches are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even against the mighty Aussies. But the failures against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
India's weakness in the longer format has been clearly revealed. However, why the team have performed so poorly in Tests at home in recent times is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on pitches that helped spin and benefited their players, India brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an exception.
Currently, the team look to be beatable at home.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they curated to suit their strengths failed miserably, as rivals exploited them better, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that India is floundering in home conditions because local wickets have been modified from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to perform better abroad.
A few mention that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has reduced the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would present to them before.
Although there is validity in each argument, it does not clarify why the team's showings on home soil have seen such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not just one or two factors.
Critics and players have identified multiple deficiencies following India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the team.
Members like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - came up short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not well enough to claim wins.
Management Questions
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also criticized, fuelled by distraught fans and vocal past stars. At the centre of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
