India's unexpected 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recently concluded Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, the visiting team handed India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. This represented South Africa's first series win in India in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the prospects of several players - as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Disappears
The emerging side's strong showing in England this summer, under a new captain, pointed to a smooth transition post the close together departures of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season boosted that belief, until the South Africans turned up and handed out a fell blow.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill was injured early on in the first Test and took no further part in the series. But that fails to account for the team of the terribly sub-par display in the two games against South Africa.
Several established players suffered, and several players aspiring to lengthy Test careers were shown as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the format.
Concerning History
This represented the second series sweep in home conditions experienced by India in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 triumph which practically cost the hosts a place in the WTC final.
The latest loss to South Africa risks harming the team's hopes of making the decider of this edition too.
After being third in the WTC table prior to the contest, the side have fallen to fifth place. Even though nine more Tests are remaining, a majority are against Australia. Usually, playing at home would be a major plus - even against the mighty Aussies. However the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's frailty in Test cricket has been badly exposed. However, why the team have performed so poorly in Tests at home lately is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against England, was considered an aberration.
Now, India look to be beatable at home.
Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they developed to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that India is struggling at home because local wickets have been changed from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to succeed abroad.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars participate, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would pose to them earlier.
Although there is some truth in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason India's performances on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have highlighted various flaws following India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, poor choices, arrogance, frequent changes of the playing XI, and favoring limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the team.
Players like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - came up short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Management Questions
The post-mortem also included not only the cricketers - team selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, spurred on by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the examination was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
