India's unexpected 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recent Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, South Africa handed India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It was South Africa's first series win in India in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum established in the past six months has largely dissipated and the prospects of multiple squad members - including team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Disappears
The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a seamless changeover after the almost concurrent retirements of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the beginning of the domestic season boosted that belief, before the Proteas came and inflicted a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill was injured quickly in the first Test and took no further part in the contest. However, that fails to account for the team of the highly disappointing display in the two games against the opposition.
Some big reputations were damaged, and multiple individuals hoping for long red-ball careers were exposed as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second whitewash in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a place in the WTC final.
The latest loss to the Proteas could damage the team's chances of making the decider of this season as well.
After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to fifth place. Though nine additional matches are yet to be played, a majority are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even against the powerful Australians. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's vulnerability in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, why the team have performed so poorly in Tests at home recently is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, India were seen as invincible in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an anomaly.
Today, India seem vulnerable at home.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas currently, India were beaten at their own game. The pitches they developed to help their style backfired spectacularly, as the opposition used them more effectively, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that India is failing at home because local wickets have been altered from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to succeed overseas.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players play, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would present to them before.
While there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for why India's performances on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
Most former players identify a complicated issue, not only a few causes.
Critics and players have identified various flaws post the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, poor choices, arrogance, regular alterations of the playing XI, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.
This was obvious in the showings of the team.
Players like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - came up short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but inadequately to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem also included just the players - team selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, spurred on by distraught fans and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was mentor Gambhir.
In his post-series press
