The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recently concluded Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, the visiting team handed India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm gained during the last several months has almost disappeared and the prospects of a number of cricketers - along with head mentor Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Disappears
The new-look squad's commendable display in England this summer, under a new captain, indicated a smooth transition post the almost concurrent departures of stalwarts R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season strengthened that view, before the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that skipper Gill got injured early on in the opening Test and took no further part in the contest. Yet that does not excuse or justify the team of the well below standard display in each match against the opposition.
Some big reputations suffered, and multiple individuals aspiring to lengthy Test careers were exposed as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second clean sweep in home conditions experienced by India in just a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 win which practically cost the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas could damage India's prospects of qualifying for the final of this cycle too.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, the side have dropped to the fifth spot. Although nine additional matches are yet to be played, five of these are against Australia. Usually, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even when facing the strong Australian side. Yet the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, the reason India have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil in recent times is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as impregnable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that assisted spinners and benefited their players, India brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Currently, India look to be easy pickings in their own backyard.
Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they developed to help their style backfired spectacularly, as opponents exploited them better, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that India is failing at home because domestic pitches have been altered from turners to fast tracks to prepare players to perform better overseas.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars play, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would pose to them earlier.
Even though there is some truth in each argument, it fails to account for the reason the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complicated issue, not just a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to several failings following the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, regular alterations of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the side.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - fell short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but inadequately to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The review didn't spare not only the cricketers - selectors and backroom team were also questioned, driven by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. Under focus of the examination was head coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
