The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recently concluded Test series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, South Africa handed India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has all but vanished and the careers of several players - along with team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Disappears
The young team's strong showing in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a smooth transition after the near-simultaneous retirements of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season boosted that belief, before the Proteas came and inflicted a fell blow.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that leader Gill suffered an injury quickly in the opening Test and did not participate again in the contest. However, that fails to account for the squad of the well below standard performance in the two games against South Africa.
Several established players suffered, and a few members hoping for long red-ball careers were exposed as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Concerning History
This was the second series sweep on home soil experienced by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a spot in the WTC final.
The latest loss to the Proteas could damage the team's chances of reaching the final of this cycle also.
After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, India have dropped to number five. Though nine additional matches are remaining, half of these are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - including against the mighty Aussies. However the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's vulnerability in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, the reason India have fared so badly in Tests on home soil recently is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an aberration.
Today, the team seem vulnerable at home.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they prepared to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as the opposition exploited them better, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is struggling at home because home surfaces have been changed from spinning tracks to quick wickets to prepare players to do well abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would pose to them in the past.
While there is validity in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the team's showings at home have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted multiple deficiencies following India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, arrogance, frequent changes of the team lineup, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the displays of the squad.
Members such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - fell short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but inadequately to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem didn't spare the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, fuelled by upset followers and critical former players. Under focus of the scrutiny was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
