India's surprising 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recent Test series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa handed India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. This represented South Africa's initial series triumph in India in 25 years and the host nation's second home series loss in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum established in the past six months has all but vanished and the futures of multiple squad members - including head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The emerging side's commendable display in England this season, under a new captain, suggested a seamless changeover after the close together departures of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign enhanced that perception, before the South Africans came and inflicted a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury quickly in the initial match and was ruled out in the series. But that fails to account for the team of the terribly sub-par showing in each match against the opposition.
Several established players suffered, and several players hoping for lengthy Test careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second clean sweep at home suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a surprising 3-0 triumph which practically cost India a berth in the WTC final.
The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming India's hopes of making the decider of this cycle too.
From number three in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have fallen to number five. Though nine additional matches are still to come, five of these are against the Aussies. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - including against the mighty Aussies. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
India's weakness in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason the team have struggled so much in Test matches at home in recent times is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that helped spin and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an aberration.
Now, India seem vulnerable at home.
Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they prepared to help their style failed miserably, as rivals exploited them better, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What Happened?
Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been altered from spinning tracks to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to perform better in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players take part, has reduced the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would present to them before.
While there is some truth in both analyses, it still does not explain why the side's results on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a few causes.
Critics and players have pointed to several failings post India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the squad.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - came up short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The review didn't spare the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also criticized, driven by distraught fans and critical former players. At the centre of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
