The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recently concluded red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, the visiting team gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It was South Africa's maiden series victory in India in 25 years and the host nation's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm established in the last several months has all but vanished and the futures of multiple squad members - along with head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a successful handover post the almost concurrent exits of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the start of the home campaign enhanced that perception, until the Proteas arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
India were somewhat unlucky that leader Gill suffered an injury quickly in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par showing in the two games against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and a few members aspiring to long red-ball careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second whitewash in home conditions suffered by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had secured a remarkable 3-0 victory which practically cost the hosts a berth in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to the Proteas could damage the team's chances of making the decider of this season as well.
After being third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, India have dropped to number five. Although nine further games are yet to be played, a majority are against Australia. Typically, playing at home would be a major plus - even when facing the mighty Aussies. But the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
India's weakness in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, why India have fared so badly in Test matches at home lately is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that assisted spinners and benefited their players, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an exception.
Today, the team look to be easy pickings on home turf.
Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as the opposition exploited them better, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that India is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to do well abroad.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which many overseas players play, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would pose to them before.
While there is validity in both analyses, it does not clarify the reason the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a multi-faceted challenge, not just one or two factors.
Critics and players have identified various flaws after India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the playing XI, and favoring limited-overs over the longer format.
This was evident in the displays of the squad.
Cricketers such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - were found wanting in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also under fire, spurred on by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. At the centre of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
