The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, the visiting team handed India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. This represented the Proteas' maiden series victory in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and the host nation's second home series loss in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory established in the previous half-year has all but vanished and the careers of multiple squad members - as well as team coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The emerging side's strong showing in England this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a successful handover after the near-simultaneous retirements of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign strengthened that view, until the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill got injured very early in the opening Test and did not participate again in the series. But that does not excuse or justify the squad of the highly disappointing showing in each match against the opposition.
Several established players were damaged, and several players hoping for long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Concerning History
It was the second whitewash at home experienced by the Indian team in just over a year. Last year, underestimated the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 win which practically cost India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to South Africa threatens to derail India's hopes of qualifying for the final of this edition as well.
After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have dropped to the fifth spot. Even though nine additional matches are remaining, five of these are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - including against the strong Australian side. However the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's weakness in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, why the team have fared so badly in Tests on home soil in recent times is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, India were regarded as invincible in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on tracks that assisted spinners and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an aberration.
Currently, India appear to be beatable on home turf.
Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The pitches they prepared to help their style went wrong completely, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the home team's players when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Some suggest that India is struggling at home because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to fast tracks to train the squad to perform better overseas.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has taken away the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would pose to them in the past.
Even though there is some truth in these views, it does not clarify why the side's results at home have seen such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have pointed to several failings following India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the team.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - fell short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not well enough to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - team selectors and backroom team were also questioned, spurred on by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the examination was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
