The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, the visiting team handed India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It was South Africa's first series win in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum built over the past six months has almost disappeared and the careers of multiple squad members - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Disappears
The new-look squad's strong showing in England this summer, under a new captain, suggested a smooth transition following the close together retirements of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over West Indies at the start of the home season boosted that belief, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
India were a bit unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill got injured very early in the opening Test and did not participate again in the contest. But that does not excuse or justify the team of the terribly sub-par showing in each match against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and multiple individuals hoping for extended tenures in Tests were shown as not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second whitewash at home suffered by India in just a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a remarkable 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a spot in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming India's prospects of qualifying for the showpiece of this cycle too.
From number three in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Although nine additional matches are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a huge advantage - including against the mighty Aussies. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
India's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, why the team have struggled so much in Test matches at home lately is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were considered invincible in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that helped spin and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an anomaly.
Now, the team seem beatable at home.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas currently, India were beaten at their own game. 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 mattered most.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that India is failing in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from turners to quick wickets to prepare players to do well overseas.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars take part, has taken away the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would present to them earlier.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason the side's results at home have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars identify a complicated issue, not just one or two factors.
Experts and participants have pointed to various flaws following the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the playing XI, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the team.
Members such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - fell short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not well enough to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem targeted just the players - selectors and support staff were also questioned, fuelled by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. At the centre of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
