The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, the visiting team gave India a record Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. This represented South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory gained during the past six months has all but vanished and the careers of a number of cricketers - including head mentor Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The young team's strong showing in the UK this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a seamless changeover post the almost concurrent exits of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the start of the home season boosted that belief, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a fell blow.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that leader Shubman Gill got injured early on in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the highly disappointing performance in the two games against South Africa.
Some big reputations were damaged, and several players hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
It was the second whitewash at home experienced by India in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had pulled off a staggering 3-0 victory which practically cost India a place in the WTC final.
The latest loss to South Africa could damage India's prospects of qualifying for the showpiece of this edition as well.
After being third in the WTC table prior to the contest, the side have been relegated to number five. Though nine further games are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - including against the strong Australian side. But the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. That said, why India have performed so poorly in Tests at home recently is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against England, was considered an aberration.
Currently, the team look to be easy pickings at home.
Versus New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, India were beaten at their own game. The tracks they prepared to help their style went wrong completely, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to quick wickets to prepare players to do well in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players take part, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would challenge them with earlier.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it still does not explain why the team's showings on home soil have experienced such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not just one or two factors.
Experts and participants have identified various flaws after the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, frequent changes of the playing XI, and emphasizing white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the performances of the side.
Cricketers such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - came up short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The review didn't spare not only the cricketers - team selectors and backroom team were also under fire, driven by upset followers and vocal past stars. At the centre of the scrutiny was head coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
