India's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, South Africa handed India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. It was the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory gained during the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the prospects of multiple squad members - as well as head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The young team's strong showing in England this summer, under a fresh leadership, indicated a seamless changeover post the almost concurrent exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over the Windies at the beginning of the domestic season enhanced that perception, till the Proteas arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill got injured very early in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. But that neither explains nor absolves the side of the terribly sub-par display in both Tests against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and multiple individuals hoping for long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second clean sweep at home experienced by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had pulled off a staggering 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a berth in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming the team's hopes of reaching the decider of this edition too.
After being third in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, the side have dropped to number five. Although nine more Tests are yet to be played, a majority are against Australia. Usually, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even against the strong Australian side. But the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's vulnerability in the longer format has been clearly revealed. However, the reason India have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil recently is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an exception.
Today, the team look to be beatable on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they developed to suit their strengths failed miserably, as the opposition exploited them better, beating the home team's players when it mattered most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to perform better overseas.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players play, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would challenge them with earlier.
While there is some truth in both analyses, it fails to account for why the side's results at home have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have highlighted several failings after India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and prioritising white-ball over Test cricket.
This was clear in the showings of the side.
Members such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - came up short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their ability and standing - but inadequately to secure victories.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem didn't spare the entire setup - selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, driven by distraught fans and vocal past stars. At the centre of the scrutiny was head coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
