India's surprising 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, the visiting team handed India a record loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It was the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the prospects of a number of cricketers - including head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Disappears
The young team's strong showing in England this season, under a fresh leadership, suggested a smooth transition following the almost concurrent departures of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the home campaign enhanced that perception, until the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that captain Shubman Gill got injured very early in the first Test and was ruled out in the contest. However, that fails to account for the side of the highly disappointing performance in the two games against the opposition.
Several established players were damaged, and several players aspiring to long red-ball careers were shown as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the format.
Concerning History
This represented the second whitewash at home suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a berth in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to South Africa threatens to derail the team's prospects of qualifying for the final of this cycle too.
From number three in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, the side have been relegated to fifth place. Even though nine additional matches are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a major plus - including against the mighty Aussies. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
India's frailty in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, why the team have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil in recent times is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as impregnable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that assisted spinners and aided their squad, India brooked no opposition. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an exception.
Now, the team seem vulnerable on home turf.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they developed to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as the opposition exploited them better, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is failing at home because domestic pitches have been modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to do well abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has taken away the mystery and hardship home wickets would pose to them in the past.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for why the team's showings on home soil have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a multi-faceted challenge, not just a few causes.
Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies after India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the team.
Members such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - were found wanting in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Management Questions
The review also included not only the cricketers - the selection panel and backroom team were also under fire, driven by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the scrutiny was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
