India's surprising 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recent Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, the visiting team handed India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's second defeat at home in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm established in the last several months has largely dissipated and the futures of several players - as well as head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The young team's commendable display in England this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a successful handover after the close together exits of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the home season enhanced that perception, before the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.
India were somewhat unlucky that leader Shubman Gill got injured very early in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the terribly sub-par display in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and several players aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not up to the mark - technically or mentally - for the format.
Concerning History
This represented the second whitewash in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 triumph which practically cost India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage India's prospects of qualifying for the final of this season as well.
From number three in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, India have fallen to fifth place. Though nine more Tests are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even against the strong Australian side. However the failures against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
India's weakness in the longer format has been badly exposed. That said, the reason the team have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil lately is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as invincible in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an anomaly.
Currently, India look to be easy pickings at home.
Versus the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they curated to favor their game went wrong completely, as the opposition exploited them better, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Some suggest that India is floundering at home because home surfaces have been changed from spinning tracks to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to perform better abroad.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would present to them in the past.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for why India's performances on home soil have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not just one or two factors.
Critics and players have identified various flaws post the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, regular alterations of the playing XI, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the showings of the side.
Cricketers such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - came up short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - the selection panel and coaching staff were also questioned, fuelled by upset followers and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the examination was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
