The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, the visiting team handed India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory established in the last several months has all but vanished and the careers of several players - including head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The young team's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a seamless changeover after the close together departures of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the beginning of the domestic season strengthened that view, until the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Gill was injured early on in the initial match and took no further part in the series. However, that fails to account for the side of the terribly sub-par showing in the two games against the opposition.
Some big reputations took a hit, and a few members aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second whitewash on home soil suffered by India in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a remarkable 3-0 win which practically cost the hosts a spot in the WTC final.
The latest loss to South Africa risks harming the team's chances of qualifying for the decider of this season as well.
After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have been relegated to fifth place. Even though nine additional matches are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even against the strong Australian side. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
India's frailty in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, why India have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil in recent times is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an anomaly.
Today, India appear to be beatable at home.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they curated to suit their strengths failed miserably, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to fast tracks to prepare players to do well abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars play, has reduced the mystery and hardship home wickets would present to them earlier.
While there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it still does not explain why the team's showings on home soil have seen such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
Most former players identify a complicated issue, not only one or two factors.
Critics and players have identified various flaws following the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, overconfidence, regular alterations of the playing XI, and emphasizing limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the team.
Cricketers like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - fell short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but inadequately to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis didn't spare just the players - team selectors and support staff were also under fire, fuelled by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the criticism was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
