India's shocking 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recent Test series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, South Africa inflicted upon India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has largely dissipated and the prospects of multiple squad members - as well as team coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The emerging side's impressive performance in England this season, under a new captain, indicated a smooth transition following the close together exits of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the domestic season enhanced that perception, before the South Africans arrived to deliver a fell blow.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill got injured very early in the initial match and did not participate again in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the side of the highly disappointing showing in each match against the opposition.
Several established players took a hit, and multiple individuals eyeing lengthy Test careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second series sweep on home soil endured by India in just over a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had secured a surprising 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming the team's hopes of reaching the showpiece of this edition too.
Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have dropped to number five. Though nine further games are yet to be played, a majority are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - including against the powerful Australians. But the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. However, why the team have performed so poorly in Tests at home lately is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on pitches that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against England, was considered an exception.
Now, the team seem beatable at home.
Versus the Kiwis in last year and South Africa currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they developed to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as the opposition exploited them better, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that India is struggling at home because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to perform better abroad.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would present to them in the past.
While there is validity in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the side's results at home have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to multiple deficiencies post the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and favoring limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was clear in the performances of the side.
Members like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - came up short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but inadequately to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The analysis targeted not only the cricketers - team selectors and backroom team were also questioned, spurred on by upset followers and critical former players. In the spotlight of the examination was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
