The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, South Africa gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's second home series loss in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory built over the last several months has almost disappeared and the futures of several players - including head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Disappears
The young team's strong showing in the UK this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a successful handover after the almost concurrent exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season enhanced that perception, until the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were somewhat unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. But that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing display in both Tests against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and a few members hoping for extended tenures in Tests were shown as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second series sweep in home conditions endured by India in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 victory which effectively cost the hosts a berth in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to South Africa threatens to derail India's prospects of making the final of this season too.
After being third in the WTC table prior to the contest, the side have dropped to fifth place. Although nine more Tests are remaining, half of these are against Australia. Usually, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even against the mighty Aussies. However the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. That said, why India have performed so poorly in Test matches at home in recent times is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an aberration.
Today, the team seem easy pickings on home turf.
Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The pitches they curated to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the home team's players when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because home surfaces have been altered from turners to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to do well overseas.
A few mention that the IPL, in which many overseas players participate, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would challenge them with in the past.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it still does not explain the reason India's performances on home soil have experienced such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars diagnose a complicated issue, not just a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to several failings following the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, overconfidence, regular alterations of the playing XI, and prioritising white-ball over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the squad.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - were found wanting in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but inadequately to secure victories.
Management Questions
The analysis targeted just the players - the selection panel and support staff were also criticized, spurred on by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
