The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, South Africa handed India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. This represented South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory built over the past six months has largely dissipated and the prospects of several players - along with team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The young team's strong showing in England this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a seamless changeover post the close together retirements of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the domestic season strengthened that view, until the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
India were somewhat unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill got injured quickly in the opening Test and took no further part in the contest. Yet that does not excuse or justify the team of the highly disappointing display in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players took a hit, and several players eyeing extended tenures in Tests were shown as not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second whitewash at home suffered by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 triumph which practically cost India a berth in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to South Africa threatens to derail the team's chances of reaching the final of this cycle too.
From number three in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, India have dropped to the fifth spot. Even though nine additional matches are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even against the powerful Australians. But the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
India's frailty in the longer format has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, why the team have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil recently is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on surfaces that helped spin and benefited their players, India brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Currently, the team look to be vulnerable at home.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, India were beaten at their own game. The pitches they curated to suit their strengths failed miserably, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the home team's players when it mattered most.
What Happened?
Some suggest that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from turners to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to succeed overseas.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would challenge them with before.
Although there is validity in these views, it fails to account for why India's performances on home soil have seen such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to one or two factors.
Experts and participants have pointed to various flaws post India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, poor choices, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the team.
Players like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - fell short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Management Questions
The review didn't spare just the players - the selection panel and coaching staff were also criticized, driven by upset followers and critical former players. Under focus of the criticism was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
