The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in the subcontinent in 25 years and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory built over the past six months has almost disappeared and the prospects of a number of cricketers - including head coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The emerging side's strong showing in England this season, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a successful handover after the almost concurrent departures of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the beginning of the home campaign boosted that belief, before the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that captain Shubman Gill got injured quickly in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the highly disappointing showing in the two games against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and a few members hoping for extended tenures in Tests were shown as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This represented the second whitewash in home conditions experienced by India in just over a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a remarkable 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a place in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to South Africa risks harming India's hopes of making the final of this season also.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table prior to the contest, the side have fallen to fifth place. Though nine additional matches are yet to be played, a majority are against the Aussies. Typically, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even against the powerful Australians. However the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's vulnerability in the longer format has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, the reason India have performed so poorly in Tests at home recently is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were considered unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against England, was considered an aberration.
Today, the team seem beatable on home turf.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they prepared to help their style went wrong completely, as opponents exploited them better, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is failing in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to quick wickets to train the squad to succeed in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has taken away the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would present to them in the past.
While there is validity in each argument, it still does not explain why the team's showings at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars diagnose a complicated issue, not limited to one or two factors.
Critics and players have identified multiple deficiencies after the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and favoring white-ball over Test cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the side.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - came up short in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The analysis targeted the entire setup - the selection panel and support staff were also criticized, driven by distraught fans and critical former players. In the spotlight of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
