The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recently concluded red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, South Africa handed India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. This represented South Africa's maiden series victory in India in 25 years and India's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory established in the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the careers of multiple squad members - along with head mentor the coach - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Disappears
The emerging side's strong showing in England this season, under a fresh leadership, suggested a seamless changeover following the near-simultaneous retirements of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the home campaign enhanced that perception, until the South Africans arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Gill suffered an injury early on in the opening Test and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the squad of the well below standard performance in each match against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and multiple individuals aspiring to long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second whitewash on home soil endured by the Indian team in just over a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 triumph which essentially denied the hosts a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's prospects of qualifying for the decider of this cycle also.
Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, the side have dropped to the fifth spot. Although nine additional matches are remaining, a majority are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even against the powerful Australians. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
India's frailty in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, the reason India have fared so badly in Tests on home soil in recent times is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that assisted spinners and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an aberration.
Now, the team seem easy pickings on home turf.
Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were beaten at their own game. The pitches they developed to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to do well in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars play, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would pose to them in the past.
Even though there is some truth in these views, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings at home have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not just a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have identified several failings following the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was evident in the displays of the team.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - were found wanting in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The review targeted the entire setup - the selection panel and backroom team were also questioned, driven by distraught fans and vocal past stars. At the centre of the criticism was team coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
