The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. This represented South Africa's first series win in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's second home series loss in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum built over the past six months has almost disappeared and the careers of a number of cricketers - along with head mentor the coach - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The emerging side's impressive performance in England this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a smooth transition after the almost concurrent exits of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the commencement of the home campaign enhanced that perception, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
India were a tad unfortunate that captain Gill suffered an injury very early in the initial match and was ruled out in the series. But that fails to account for the squad of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against the opposition.
Several established players took a hit, and a few members eyeing long red-ball careers were revealed to be not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Concerning History
It was the second whitewash at home experienced by India in just a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had achieved a remarkable 3-0 win which essentially denied the hosts a spot in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage the team's chances of reaching the showpiece of this edition too.
After being third in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, India have dropped to fifth place. Though nine more Tests are yet to be played, a majority are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a significant benefit - including against the mighty Aussies. However the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
India's vulnerability in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, the reason India have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil lately is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that assisted spinners and aided their squad, India brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an anomaly.
Today, the team appear to be vulnerable on home turf.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they curated to suit their strengths failed miserably, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Some suggest that the Indian team is failing at home because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to perform better overseas.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players take part, has removed the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would present to them before.
Although there is validity in both analyses, it fails to account for why the side's results on home soil have seen such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not just a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have pointed to multiple deficiencies post the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the playing XI, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the team.
Members such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - fell short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but not well enough to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem didn't spare just the players - team selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, fuelled by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
