India's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. This represented South Africa's initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum gained during the past six months has almost disappeared and the prospects of a number of cricketers - including head mentor the coach - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Disappears
The emerging side's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a smooth transition post the almost concurrent departures of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season enhanced that perception, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that captain Shubman Gill got injured early on in the initial match and took no further part in the contest. But that fails to account for the side of the terribly sub-par showing in each match against the opposition.
Some big reputations were damaged, and several players aspiring to long red-ball careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second clean sweep on home soil experienced by India in just more than a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a remarkable 3-0 win which effectively cost India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas threatens to derail India's prospects of making the final of this cycle too.
After being third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, the side have fallen to fifth place. Though nine additional matches are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - including against the mighty Aussies. However the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas leave little scope for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
India's frailty in Test cricket has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, why India have fared so badly in Tests on home soil lately is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, India were seen as unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against England, was considered an exception.
Today, the team look to be easy pickings in their own backyard.
Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they curated to favor their game failed miserably, as opponents 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 domestic pitches have been altered from turners to quick wickets to prepare players to do well in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has taken away the mystery and hardship home wickets would challenge them with earlier.
Although there is some truth in each argument, it does not clarify the reason the side's results on home soil have seen such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complicated issue, not just a few causes.
Critics and players have identified several failings following India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, poor choices, arrogance, regular alterations of the playing XI, and emphasizing white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the displays of the team.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - fell short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Management Questions
The analysis also included just the players - the selection panel and backroom team were also under fire, spurred on by distraught fans and critical former players. In the spotlight of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
