India's surprising 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recent Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. This represented the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm built over the past six months has almost disappeared and the careers of several players - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a successful handover post the close together departures of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the beginning of the domestic season boosted that belief, until the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that skipper Shubman Gill got injured early on in the opening Test and was ruled out in the series. However, that fails to account for the side of the highly disappointing performance in the two games against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and a few members aspiring to lengthy Test careers were shown as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This was the second whitewash in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had achieved a remarkable 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a spot in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to the Proteas risks harming India's prospects of qualifying for the decider of this edition as well.
After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have been relegated to the fifth spot. Even though nine further games are remaining, half of these are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - including against the strong Australian side. But the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, the reason the team have struggled so much in Tests at home in recent times is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, India were seen as invincible in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an aberration.
Currently, the team look to be vulnerable at home.
Versus New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they curated to help their style failed miserably, as the opposition used them more effectively, outplaying the home team's players when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that India is struggling at home because home surfaces have been altered from turners to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to succeed in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players participate, has removed the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would present to them in the past.
While there is validity in these views, it fails to account for why India's performances on home soil have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players identify a multi-faceted challenge, not only a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have identified various flaws following India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, arrogance, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was clear in the performances of the team.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - came up short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but inadequately to claim wins.
Management Questions
The review also included the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also under fire, spurred on by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the examination was team coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
