The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, South Africa gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's another home failure in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum built over the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the prospects of a number of cricketers - including head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Disappears
The emerging side's commendable display in England this season, under a new captain, pointed to a successful handover after the almost concurrent retirements of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the home season boosted that belief, before the South Africans arrived to deliver a fell blow.
India were somewhat unlucky that leader Gill was injured very early in the opening Test and was ruled out in the series. Yet that fails to account for the team of the terribly sub-par performance in both Tests against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and several players hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Concerning History
It was the second series sweep in home conditions experienced by India in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had pulled off a staggering 3-0 triumph which essentially denied the hosts a place in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to the Proteas could damage India's chances of qualifying for the showpiece of this edition as well.
From number three in the WTC table before the series, the side have fallen to number five. Though nine additional matches are yet to be played, five of these are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. However the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. However, why the team have fared so badly in Tests at home lately is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, India were considered invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an exception.
Now, India seem beatable at home.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, India were beaten at their own game. The pitches they developed to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals exploited them better, outplaying the home team's players when it counted the most.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that India is struggling in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to succeed abroad.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players take part, has reduced the surprise and difficulty home wickets would present to them before.
Even though there is some truth in both analyses, it does not clarify the reason the side's results at home have seen such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players point to a complicated issue, not only a few causes.
Experts and participants have highlighted several failings following the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the team lineup, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the squad.
Cricketers like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - came up short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Management Questions
The post-mortem didn't spare the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also criticized, fuelled by disappointed supporters and critical former players. In the spotlight of the criticism was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
