The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm established in the last several months has largely dissipated and the futures of a number of cricketers - as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a seamless changeover post the close together departures of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the start of the home campaign enhanced that perception, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
India were a tad unfortunate that captain Gill was injured early on in the initial match and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the side of the highly disappointing performance in the two games against the opposition.
Several established players took a hit, and several players eyeing long red-ball careers were exposed as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Concerning History
It was the second whitewash on home soil experienced by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a surprising 3-0 win which effectively cost the hosts a berth in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's chances of reaching the showpiece of this edition too.
From number three in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have dropped to the fifth spot. Even though nine further games are yet to be played, a majority are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a major plus - even against the mighty Aussies. However the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's weakness in the longer format has been clearly revealed. However, why India have performed so poorly in Tests at home lately is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, India were regarded as impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Now, the team appear to be vulnerable at home.
Versus the Kiwis in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they developed to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been altered from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to succeed in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has removed the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would challenge them with earlier.
Even though there is validity in each argument, it fails to account for the reason the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not only one or two factors.
Critics and players have identified various flaws following India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the playing XI, and emphasizing limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the squad.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - fell short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - the selection panel and backroom team were also under fire, spurred on by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. Under focus of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
