India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory established in the previous half-year has all but vanished and the prospects of multiple squad members - including head coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The young team's commendable display in England this season, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a successful handover after the close together departures of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign strengthened that view, till the Proteas came and inflicted a fell blow.
The home side were a bit unlucky that leader Gill suffered an injury early on in the first Test and took no further part in the contest. However, that does not excuse or justify the team of the terribly sub-par performance in both Tests against the opposition.
Several established players suffered, and several players aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second whitewash on home soil endured by India in just a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 triumph which effectively cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage the team's chances of making the decider of this season too.
From number three in the Test championship standings before the series, India have fallen to the fifth spot. Although nine further games are remaining, a majority are against Australia. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - including against the mighty Aussies. But the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's weakness in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, why the team have fared so badly in Tests on home soil lately is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an aberration.
Now, the team seem easy pickings in their own backyard.
Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they curated to suit their strengths failed miserably, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is struggling at home because local wickets have been changed from turners to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to succeed abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has taken away the surprise and difficulty home wickets would present to them before.
Even though there is some truth in each argument, it fails to account for the reason the side's results at home have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to various flaws after India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the squad.
Cricketers such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - fell short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem also included not only the cricketers - team selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, driven by upset followers and vocal past stars. At the centre of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
