India's shocking 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It was South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the careers of several players - including team coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Disappears
The emerging side's commendable display in England this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a seamless changeover after the near-simultaneous departures of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season boosted that belief, until the Proteas turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
The home side were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill got injured early on in the initial match and took no further part in the contest. However, that does not excuse or justify the team of the highly disappointing performance in both Tests against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and multiple individuals aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This was the second whitewash on home soil endured by India in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 triumph which essentially denied the hosts a spot in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming India's chances of making the final of this season also.
After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have fallen to fifth place. Though nine more Tests are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. That said, why the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home lately is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an exception.
Currently, the team look to be easy pickings at home.
Facing the Kiwis in last year and South Africa currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they curated to favor their game went wrong completely, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that India is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to do well overseas.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would challenge them with in the past.
While there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it does not clarify the reason India's performances on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
Most former players diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have identified several failings following India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over the longer format.
This was obvious in the showings of the team.
Members like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - were found wanting in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Management Questions
The review also included just the players - team selectors and backroom team were also under fire, spurred on by upset followers and critical former players. In the spotlight of the criticism was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
