India's unexpected 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, the visiting team gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. This represented the Proteas' first series win in India in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm gained during the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the futures of a number of cricketers - as well as team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Disappears
The emerging side's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a seamless changeover post the close together retirements of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the commencement of the home season enhanced that perception, before the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that skipper Gill suffered an injury early on in the opening Test and did not participate again in the series. However, that fails to account for the squad of the well below standard performance in the two games against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and several players eyeing long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second series sweep on home soil experienced by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 triumph which effectively cost the hosts a berth in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to South Africa threatens to derail the team's hopes of qualifying for the decider of this edition too.
From number three in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, India have been relegated to fifth place. Although nine further games are still to come, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a huge advantage - including against the strong Australian side. But the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's frailty in Test cricket has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, the reason the team have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil in recent times is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that assisted spinners and aided their squad, India brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an exception.
Currently, the team appear to be easy pickings at home.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa this year, India were beaten at their own game. The tracks they curated to help their style backfired spectacularly, as opponents exploited them better, beating the home team's players when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is struggling at home because domestic pitches have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to perform better overseas.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has removed the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would present to them in the past.
While there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it does not clarify why the team's showings on home soil have experienced such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complicated issue, not just a few causes.
Critics and players have pointed to multiple deficiencies after India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the playing XI, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the squad.
Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - were found wanting in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem didn't spare just the players - team selectors and backroom team were also questioned, fuelled by upset followers and critical former players. Under focus of the examination was mentor Gambhir.
During his post-series press
