The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recent Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, the visiting team inflicted upon India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. This represented the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum established in the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the careers of a number of cricketers - along with head coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The new-look squad's commendable display in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a successful handover following the close together retirements of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the domestic season strengthened that view, before the Proteas arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Gill suffered an injury very early in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. Yet that does not excuse or justify the side of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and multiple individuals aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Concerning History
It was the second series sweep on home soil suffered by India in just over a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had secured a surprising 3-0 triumph which effectively cost India a place in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage the team's prospects of qualifying for the decider of this edition too.
From number three in the WTC rankings before the series, India have dropped to the fifth spot. Even though nine further games are yet to be played, a majority are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even against the mighty Aussies. However the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
India's weakness in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. However, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Tests at home lately is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on tracks that assisted spinners and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an aberration.
Today, India look to be vulnerable on home turf.
Versus the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they prepared to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as the opposition exploited them better, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because local wickets have been altered from turners to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to succeed in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars take part, has taken away the mystery and hardship home wickets would challenge them with before.
Although there is validity in each argument, it still does not explain why the side's results at home have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have highlighted multiple deficiencies following India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and emphasizing white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the team.
Cricketers like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - came up short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not well enough to win matches.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted just the players - the selection panel and coaching staff were also questioned, spurred on by distraught fans and critical former players. At the centre of the examination was team coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
