The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recently concluded Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, South Africa handed India a record loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. This represented South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and the host nation's second defeat at home in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum built over the past six months has largely dissipated and the careers of a number of cricketers - including head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The young team's commendable display in the UK this season, under a different skipper, indicated a successful handover after the near-simultaneous departures of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over the Windies at the commencement of the domestic season enhanced that perception, till the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury quickly in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. Yet that fails to account for the side of the highly disappointing showing in both Tests against the opposition.
Several established players were damaged, and several players aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were shown as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Worrying Trend
It was the second clean sweep in home conditions suffered by India in just over a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's chances of qualifying for the final of this edition also.
After being third in the Test championship standings before the series, India have fallen to number five. Though nine more Tests are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even against the mighty Aussies. However the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's weakness in the longer format has been badly exposed. However, why India have fared so badly in Tests at home in recent times is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on pitches that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, such as in 2012-13 against England, was considered an aberration.
Now, the team seem vulnerable at home.
Versus the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The tracks they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as the opposition used them more effectively, surpassing the home team's players when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
Some suggest that the Indian team is failing at home because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to perform better abroad.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has removed the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would present to them before.
Even though there is validity in these views, it does not clarify the reason the team's showings at home have experienced such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complicated issue, not only a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted multiple deficiencies following India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, arrogance, frequent changes of the team lineup, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the squad.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - fell short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but inadequately to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis targeted just the players - the selection panel and support staff were also under fire, spurred on by distraught fans and vocal past stars. Under focus of the examination was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
