The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recent Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, South Africa gave India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. This represented South Africa's initial series triumph in India in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm built over the past six months has largely dissipated and the futures of several players - along with head mentor the coach - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Disappears
The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a seamless changeover post the close together retirements of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the start of the home campaign enhanced that perception, before the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill was injured quickly in the first Test and took no further part in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the side of the highly disappointing display in each match against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and several players aspiring to 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 whitewash at home experienced by India in just a year. Last year, underestimated the Kiwis had pulled off a surprising 3-0 triumph which effectively cost India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming India's hopes of making the final of this edition too.
After being third in the WTC table prior to the contest, India 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 major plus - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil in recent times is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, the hosts brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an exception.
Now, the team appear to be beatable in their own backyard.
Against New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they developed to help their style failed miserably, as rivals exploited them better, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that India is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to succeed in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players participate, has reduced the surprise and difficulty home wickets would challenge them with in the past.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it still does not explain the reason India's performances at home have seen such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have identified several failings after India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, regular alterations of the playing XI, and favoring limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was clear in the performances of the team.
Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - fell short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - the selection panel and coaching staff were also questioned, fuelled by disappointed supporters and critical former players. At the centre of the examination was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
