India's shocking 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in 25 years and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the prospects of several players - along with head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The young team's strong showing in England this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a successful handover following the almost concurrent retirements of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the home season boosted that belief, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
The home side were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill suffered an injury early on in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the highly disappointing performance in each match against the opposition.
Some big reputations suffered, and several players eyeing long red-ball careers were shown as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
It was the second clean sweep in home conditions experienced by India in just a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had secured a remarkable 3-0 victory which effectively cost the hosts a berth in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming the team's chances of making the decider of this edition also.
After being third in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have been relegated to number five. Although nine further games are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even against the strong Australian side. However the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
India's frailty in the longer format has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home lately is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were regarded as impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an aberration.
Today, India seem beatable at home.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they developed to help their style backfired spectacularly, as the opposition used them more effectively, outplaying the home team's players when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to do well abroad.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars play, has reduced the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would pose to them in the past.
Even though there is validity in both analyses, it fails to account for why the team's showings at home have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not only a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have pointed to various flaws post India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the playing XI, and favoring white-ball over the longer format.
This was clear in the performances of the side.
Cricketers such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - were found wanting in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem didn't spare the entire setup - the selection panel and backroom team were also criticized, fuelled by upset followers and vocal past stars. At the centre of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
