India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa gave India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. It marked the Proteas' first series win in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm established in the past six months has all but vanished and the prospects of multiple squad members - as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The emerging side's impressive performance in England this summer, under a new captain, indicated a smooth transition following the near-simultaneous departures of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the home season enhanced that perception, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a fell blow.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that leader Gill was injured early on in the first Test and did not participate again in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the side of the terribly sub-par display in both Tests against the opposition.
Some big reputations took a hit, and multiple individuals aspiring to long red-ball careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This was the second clean sweep in home conditions suffered by India in just more than a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 win which practically cost the hosts a spot in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to South Africa risks harming the team's chances of qualifying for the showpiece of this edition also.
From number three in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Although nine further games are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, playing at home would be a major plus - even when facing the mighty Aussies. Yet the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's vulnerability in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, why the team have fared so badly in Test matches at home in recent times is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as invincible in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India brooked no opposition. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an aberration.
Now, the team look to be beatable in their own backyard.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they developed to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as rivals exploited them better, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is failing at home because home surfaces have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to succeed in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the IPL, in which many overseas players take part, has taken away the mystery and hardship home wickets would present to them before.
Although there is some truth in both analyses, it still does not explain why India's performances on home soil have experienced such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted various flaws following the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the team.
Players such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - fell short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but inadequately to secure victories.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - team selectors and backroom team were also under fire, spurred on by upset followers and critical former players. Under focus of the scrutiny was head coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
