The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recent Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, South Africa inflicted upon India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and India's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the careers of multiple squad members - as well as team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Disappears
The young team's strong showing in England this season, under a new captain, pointed to a smooth transition post the near-simultaneous exits of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the domestic season strengthened that view, until the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Gill got injured quickly in the opening Test and took no further part in the contest. But that fails to account for the side of the highly disappointing display in each match against South Africa.
Several established players took a hit, and several players eyeing long red-ball careers were exposed as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
It was the second series sweep at home experienced by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had achieved a surprising 3-0 victory which practically cost the hosts a place in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas threatens to derail India's chances of making the showpiece of this edition too.
After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Although nine further games are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even when facing the mighty Aussies. But the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
India's weakness in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. However, the reason the team have fared so badly in Test matches at home recently is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were regarded as impregnable in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an aberration.
Now, India look to be beatable in their own backyard.
Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were beaten at their own game. The pitches they developed to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as opponents exploited them better, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is failing at home because domestic pitches have been altered from turners to quick wickets to train the squad to perform better in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would present to them earlier.
While there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for why the side's results on home soil have seen such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not just one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to multiple deficiencies following the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, frequent changes of the playing XI, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the squad.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - fell short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Management Questions
The analysis didn't spare just the players - the selection panel and backroom team were also under fire, driven by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. At the centre of the examination was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
