India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, South Africa handed India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. This represented South Africa's first series win in India in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm established in the past six months has largely dissipated and the futures of several players - as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Disappears
The young team's impressive performance in England this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a seamless changeover following the near-simultaneous exits of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the commencement of the home season strengthened that view, until the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
India were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the first Test and took no further part in the contest. However, that fails to account for the squad of the highly disappointing display in the two games against the opposition.
Several established players took a hit, and several players hoping for lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not up to the mark - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second clean sweep in home conditions experienced by India in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 triumph which practically cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage India's hopes of reaching the showpiece of this season also.
After being third in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have dropped to fifth place. Though nine additional matches are remaining, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - including against the strong Australian side. Yet the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas leave little scope for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
India's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. However, the reason India have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil lately is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were considered invincible in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an exception.
Today, the team look to be beatable at home.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they curated to suit their strengths failed miserably, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is struggling at home because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to do well overseas.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars take part, has reduced the mystery and hardship home wickets would pose to them earlier.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it does not clarify why the team's showings on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complicated issue, not limited to a few causes.
Critics and players have identified various flaws after the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the playing XI, and favoring white-ball over the longer format.
This was obvious in the displays of the team.
Cricketers like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - fell short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The analysis didn't spare just the players - the selection panel and coaching staff were also under fire, spurred on by distraught fans and vocal past stars. Under focus of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
