India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, the visiting team gave India a record defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It was the Proteas' first series win in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory built over the last several months has all but vanished and the futures of multiple squad members - along with head mentor the coach - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The young team's commendable display in the UK this season, under a new captain, pointed to a successful handover after the near-simultaneous retirements of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the domestic season enhanced that perception, before the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill was injured early on in the initial match and took no further part in the series. But that fails to account for the squad of the highly disappointing performance in each match against the opposition.
Some big reputations took a hit, and several players aspiring to long red-ball careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This represented the second clean sweep at home experienced by India in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 win which essentially denied India a spot in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to South Africa risks harming the team's chances of qualifying for the showpiece of this cycle too.
From number three in the Test championship standings before the series, India have been relegated to fifth place. Even though nine additional matches are yet to be played, five of these are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - including against the strong Australian side. But the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas leave little scope for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
India's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, the reason India have fared so badly in Test matches at home in recent times is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an aberration.
Currently, the team seem beatable on home turf.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they developed to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as rivals used them more effectively, surpassing the home team's players when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because home surfaces have been changed from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to succeed overseas.
Some point out that the IPL, in which many overseas players take part, has reduced the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would present to them in the past.
Although there is validity in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason India's performances on home soil have experienced such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to one or two factors.
Experts and participants have identified multiple deficiencies post India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.
This was obvious in the showings of the squad.
Cricketers such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - were found wanting in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Management Questions
The analysis targeted just the players - the selection panel and support staff were also questioned, spurred on by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
