The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recent Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. This represented South Africa's initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and India'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 all but vanished and the prospects of a number of cricketers - as well as head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The new-look squad's strong showing in England this season, under a new captain, pointed to a successful handover after the near-simultaneous departures of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over West Indies at the start of the home season strengthened that view, until the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill was injured early on in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. However, that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the highly disappointing showing in the two games against South Africa.
Several established players took a hit, and a few members hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Concerning History
This was the second series sweep in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had pulled off a staggering 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a spot in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas risks harming the team's prospects of reaching the showpiece of this cycle also.
After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to number five. Even though nine more Tests are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Usually, playing at home would be a major plus - even against the strong Australian side. Yet the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's vulnerability in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. However, why the team have struggled so much in Tests on home soil recently is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that helped spin and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an anomaly.
Now, India seem beatable at home.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals exploited them better, beating the home team's players when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that India is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to perform better abroad.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would pose to them in the past.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it still does not explain why the team's showings on home soil have seen such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars identify a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to various flaws post the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, poor choices, arrogance, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was clear in the showings of the team.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - were found wanting in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not well enough to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The review didn't spare not only the cricketers - team selectors and backroom team were also criticized, driven by upset followers and critical former players. Under focus of the scrutiny was head coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
