India's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, South Africa handed India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. This represented the Proteas' first series win in India in two and a half decades and India's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory built over the past six months has all but vanished and the futures of multiple squad members - including team coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The emerging side's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a seamless changeover post the near-simultaneous retirements of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the commencement of the home campaign strengthened that view, until the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill got injured early on in the first Test and did not participate again in the contest. However, that fails to account for the team of the well below standard display in both Tests against the opposition.
Several established players took a hit, and a few members hoping for extended tenures in Tests were shown as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Worrying Trend
This was the second whitewash on home soil endured by India in just a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had pulled off a staggering 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's hopes of qualifying for the showpiece of this cycle too.
From number three in the WTC table prior to the contest, India have fallen to the fifth spot. Though nine more Tests are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - including against the strong Australian side. However the failures against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's weakness in Test cricket has been badly exposed. However, why the team have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil recently is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that helped spin and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an aberration.
Currently, India seem vulnerable in their own backyard.
Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they curated to help their style backfired spectacularly, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the home team's players when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been changed from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to succeed in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars play, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would present to them before.
Even though there is some truth in each argument, it fails to account for why the team's showings at home have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complicated issue, not only one or two factors.
Critics and players have highlighted several failings after India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.
This was clear in the showings of the squad.
Players such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - were found wanting in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The analysis targeted just the players - the selection panel and backroom team were also questioned, spurred on by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
