India's surprising 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, South Africa handed India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has almost disappeared and the careers of multiple squad members - as well as head mentor the coach - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The young team's strong showing in England this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a seamless changeover after the close together departures of stalwarts R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the start of the domestic season enhanced that perception, before the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that leader Gill got injured quickly in the opening Test and took no further part in the contest. However, that fails to account for the side of the terribly sub-par performance in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players took a hit, and several players hoping for extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Concerning History
It was the second series sweep at home suffered by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had secured a remarkable 3-0 win which practically cost India a spot in the WTC final.
The latest loss to South Africa risks harming India's chances of reaching the decider of this cycle as well.
After being third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, India have been relegated to fifth place. Even though nine additional matches are yet to be played, five of these are against Australia. Usually, playing at home would be a huge advantage - including against the strong Australian side. But the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, why the team have fared so badly in Tests on home soil recently is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were regarded as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an exception.
Currently, the team seem beatable at home.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they developed to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the home team's players when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is struggling at home because domestic pitches have been altered from spinning tracks to quick wickets to train the squad to do well abroad.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players participate, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would present to them earlier.
Even though there is validity in both analyses, it fails to account for why the side's results on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not only one or two factors.
Critics and players have pointed to various flaws following India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the team lineup, and emphasizing white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the team.
Players such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - were found wanting in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, fuelled by upset followers and vocal past stars. At the centre of the examination was head coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
