India's surprising 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. This represented South Africa's maiden series victory in India in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory gained during the past six months has largely dissipated and the careers of a number of cricketers - as well as head coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's commendable display in the UK this season, under a different skipper, indicated a successful handover after the almost concurrent departures of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the domestic season boosted that belief, before the Proteas arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
India were somewhat unlucky that skipper Gill suffered an injury very early in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that does not excuse or justify the squad of the terribly sub-par performance in each match against the opposition.
Several established players took a hit, and a few members hoping for lengthy Test careers were revealed to be still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second clean sweep at home endured by India in just a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 victory which effectively cost the hosts a place in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's chances of reaching the decider of this edition too.
After being third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, India have fallen to number five. Even though nine further games are yet to be played, a majority are against Australia. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even against the strong Australian side. However the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, why India have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil recently is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on surfaces that assisted spinners and aided their squad, the hosts brooked no opposition. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against England, was considered an exception.
Currently, India seem beatable in their own backyard.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they prepared to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as rivals used them more effectively, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is failing in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from turners to fast tracks to prepare players to perform better in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars take part, has taken away the surprise and difficulty home wickets would challenge them with in the past.
Although there is some truth in both analyses, it still does not explain why the side's results at home have seen such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players point to a complicated issue, not just a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have identified multiple deficiencies after the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the side.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - were found wanting in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to claim wins.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted just the players - team selectors and support staff were also criticized, spurred on by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the examination was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press