India's surprising 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It was South Africa's maiden series victory in India in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has largely dissipated and the prospects of a number of cricketers - as well as team coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Disappears
The young team's commendable display in the UK this season, under a different skipper, suggested a successful handover after the near-simultaneous departures of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the home campaign enhanced that perception, until the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the initial match and was ruled out in the series. But that does not excuse or justify the team of the terribly sub-par showing in both Tests against South Africa.
Some big reputations suffered, and several players aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the format.
Concerning History
This represented the second series sweep on home soil endured by India in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 victory which practically cost India a spot in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming India's hopes of qualifying for the final of this cycle too.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to number five. Though nine more Tests are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even against the strong Australian side. However the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, why the team have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil lately is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an exception.
Now, India seem vulnerable on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to suit their strengths failed miserably, as the opposition used them more effectively, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that the Indian team is struggling at home because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to perform better abroad.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars participate, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would present to them before.
Even though there is validity in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason India's performances at home have experienced such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players identify a complicated issue, not just one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to various flaws following India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, frequent changes of the team lineup, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the side.
Players like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - came up short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Management Questions
The analysis also included not only the cricketers - selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, driven by upset followers and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the criticism was team coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
