The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recent Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. This represented the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum built over the previous half-year has all but vanished and the futures of several players - along with head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The emerging side's commendable display in England this summer, under a new captain, pointed to a seamless changeover post the close together departures of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the beginning of the domestic season enhanced that perception, until the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.
India were somewhat unlucky that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the initial match and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the side of the well below standard showing in both Tests against South Africa.
Some big reputations took a hit, and multiple individuals hoping for lengthy Test careers were shown as not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second series sweep in home conditions experienced by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had pulled off a surprising 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a place in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to South Africa risks harming India's chances of qualifying for the decider of this season also.
After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have dropped to fifth place. Though nine further games are yet to be played, five of these are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even against the strong Australian side. But the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, why the team have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil in recent times is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as invincible in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that assisted spinners and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an anomaly.
Today, India appear to be easy pickings on home turf.
Versus New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they curated to help their style failed miserably, as opponents exploited them better, surpassing the home team's players when it was most crucial.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that India is struggling in home conditions because home surfaces have been changed from turners to fast tracks to prepare players to do well abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players play, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would challenge them with in the past.
Even though there is validity in each argument, it still does not explain why the side's results at home have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not just a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have highlighted various flaws post the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, frequent changes of the team lineup, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the side.
Players like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - fell short in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but inadequately to secure victories.
Management Questions
The review targeted the entire setup - team selectors and backroom team were also under fire, driven by upset followers and critical former players. At the centre of the examination was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
