The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recent Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, South Africa inflicted upon India a record defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It was South Africa's initial series triumph in India 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 winning rhythm established in the last several months has largely dissipated and the futures of multiple squad members - as well as head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The new-look squad's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a new captain, indicated a smooth transition following the close together exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the home campaign enhanced that perception, before the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.
India were somewhat unlucky that leader Shubman Gill was injured early on in the initial match and was ruled out in the series. Yet that fails to account for the squad of the terribly sub-par performance in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players suffered, and multiple individuals hoping for extended tenures in Tests were shown as not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second clean sweep in home conditions experienced by India in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 win which practically cost India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's hopes of reaching the decider of this season also.
From number three in the WTC table before the series, the side have fallen to number five. Though nine more Tests are still to come, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a major plus - including against the powerful Australians. But the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
India's weakness in the longer format has been badly exposed. That said, the reason India have fared so badly in Tests at home recently is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on tracks that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an exception.
Now, India seem easy pickings at home.
Facing New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they developed to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as the opposition exploited them better, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to succeed abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would present to them earlier.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it still does not explain why the side's results at home have seen such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a multi-faceted challenge, not just a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies after India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and favoring limited-overs over the longer format.
This was obvious in the displays of the side.
Members such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - came up short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to secure victories.
Coaching Scrutiny
The review also included not only the cricketers - the selection panel and coaching staff were also questioned, driven by upset followers and vocal past stars. Under focus of the scrutiny was mentor Gambhir.
At his post-series press
