India's shocking 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, South Africa gave India a record loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's second defeat at home in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory built over the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the prospects of several players - along with team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Disappears
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a smooth transition post the almost concurrent retirements of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the home season boosted that belief, until the Proteas arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill got injured quickly in the opening Test and was ruled out in the contest. However, that fails to account for the squad of the highly disappointing showing in both Tests against the opposition.
Some big reputations suffered, and multiple individuals hoping for long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
It was the second clean sweep in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just more than a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 win which practically cost India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa could damage India's chances of reaching the showpiece of this edition too.
From number three in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have fallen to fifth place. Even though nine further games are yet to be played, a majority are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even against the mighty Aussies. But the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
India's frailty in Test cricket has been badly exposed. However, the reason India have struggled so much in Tests on home soil lately is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an exception.
Today, the team look to be beatable at home.
Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they curated to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as the opposition used them more effectively, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that India is failing at home because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to perform better in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would pose to them in the past.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a multi-faceted challenge, not just one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted various flaws after India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the team.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - were found wanting in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but not well enough to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem also included just the players - team selectors and backroom team were also under fire, spurred on by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
