The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It was South Africa's first series win in India in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum established in the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the careers of several players - as well as team coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The young team's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a smooth transition after the close together retirements of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the commencement of the home campaign strengthened that view, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the opening Test and was ruled out in the series. But that fails to account for the side of the terribly sub-par showing in each match against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and several players aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were shown as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second whitewash on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a berth in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to South Africa threatens to derail India's prospects of reaching the final of this edition as well.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to number five. Even though nine further games are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even when facing the powerful Australians. However the failures against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. However, why India have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil recently is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on tracks that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Today, the team seem easy pickings on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa this year, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they prepared to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling at home because home surfaces have been modified from turners to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to perform better abroad.
Some point out that the IPL, in which several international stars participate, has removed the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would pose to them in the past.
Even though there is some truth in these views, it does not clarify why India's performances at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have identified multiple deficiencies following the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the squad.
Members like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - fell short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not well enough to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis targeted the entire setup - selectors and backroom team were also questioned, spurred on by distraught fans and vocal past stars. At the centre of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
