The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recent Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, South Africa inflicted upon India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It marked South Africa's first series win in India in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory established in the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the prospects of a number of cricketers - including team coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Disappears
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a smooth transition after the almost concurrent departures of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the home season enhanced that perception, until the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that captain Shubman Gill got injured early on in the opening Test and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the side of the highly disappointing performance in both Tests against the opposition.
Several established players were damaged, and multiple individuals eyeing lengthy Test careers were shown as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the format.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second series sweep in home conditions experienced by India in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a surprising 3-0 triumph which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the WTC final.
The latest loss to the Proteas could damage the team's prospects of qualifying for the showpiece of this season as well.
After being third in the WTC table before the series, the side have been relegated to number five. Even though nine more Tests are yet to be played, five of these are against Australia. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even when facing the mighty Aussies. However the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
India's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, the reason India have performed so poorly in Tests at home lately is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against England, was considered an anomaly.
Today, the team appear to be vulnerable on home turf.
Versus New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they prepared to suit their strengths failed miserably, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering at home because home surfaces have been modified from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to do well in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has removed the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would pose to them in the past.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it still does not explain why the team's showings on home soil have experienced such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars diagnose a complicated issue, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have highlighted several failings post the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the team.
Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - were found wanting in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but inadequately to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis targeted just the players - the selection panel and backroom team were also under fire, spurred on by disappointed supporters and critical former players. Under focus of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
