The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, South Africa handed India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. This represented the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory established in the previous half-year has all but vanished and the careers of multiple squad members - along with team coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Disappears
The emerging side's strong showing in England this summer, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a smooth transition post the close together departures of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over the Windies at the commencement of the domestic season strengthened that view, until the Proteas turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
India were a tad unfortunate that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. But that fails to account for the squad of the terribly sub-par showing in the two games against the opposition.
Some big reputations were damaged, and several players aspiring to lengthy Test careers were shown as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the format.
Concerning History
This represented the second series sweep on home soil endured by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, underestimated the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a spot in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to South Africa risks harming India's hopes of reaching the showpiece of this edition as well.
From number three in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have been relegated to the fifth spot. Even though nine additional matches are yet to be played, a majority are against Australia. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - including against the powerful Australians. Yet the failures against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's weakness in the longer format has been badly exposed. That said, why India have struggled so much in Test matches at home lately is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were considered invincible in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts brooked no opposition. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against England, was considered an aberration.
Today, India look to be beatable at home.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they curated to favor their game went wrong completely, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that India is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from turners to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to perform better abroad.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which many overseas players take part, has reduced the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would pose to them earlier.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for why the side's results on home soil have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not just one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have identified various flaws after India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, poor choices, arrogance, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.
This was clear in the performances of the team.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - fell short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not well enough to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis didn't spare the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, driven by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
