India's shocking 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recent Test series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, South Africa gave India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's first series win in India in 25 years and the host nation's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory built over the last several months has largely dissipated and the futures of multiple squad members - including team coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Disappears
The young team's commendable display in England this summer, under a new captain, pointed to a smooth transition following the almost concurrent exits of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over the Windies at the start of the home season strengthened that view, until the South Africans came and inflicted a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Shubman Gill was injured very early in the first Test and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the side of the terribly sub-par performance in both Tests against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and a few members aspiring to long red-ball careers were shown as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second whitewash on home soil 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 South Africa threatens to derail India's chances of reaching the final of this season also.
From number three in the WTC table before the series, India have fallen to the fifth spot. Though nine further games are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - including against the mighty Aussies. However the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
India's frailty in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. That said, why India have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil lately is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered invincible in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts brooked no opposition. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Currently, India appear to be easy pickings in their own backyard.
Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The tracks they prepared to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as rivals used them more effectively, outplaying the home team's players when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is floundering in home conditions 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 domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would pose to them before.
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 staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have identified several failings after India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and favoring limited-overs over the longer format.
This was evident in the displays of the team.
Cricketers like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - came up short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Management Questions
The analysis also included the entire setup - selectors and backroom team were also questioned, driven by distraught fans and vocal past stars. At the centre of the examination was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
