India's surprising 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, South Africa handed India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm built over the past six months has all but vanished and the prospects of a number of cricketers - along with head mentor the coach - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The young team's strong showing in England this summer, under a new captain, indicated a smooth transition after the close together departures of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the start of the home season boosted that belief, before the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the initial match and took no further part in the series. Yet that does not excuse or justify the squad of the highly disappointing performance in the two games against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and multiple individuals eyeing lengthy Test careers were shown as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second clean sweep at home suffered by India in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 victory which effectively cost the hosts a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa risks harming the team's chances of reaching the showpiece of this edition as well.
After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have dropped to number five. Although nine additional matches are still to come, five of these are against the Aussies. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even against the powerful Australians. However the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
India's vulnerability in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. However, the reason India have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil in recent times is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were regarded as impregnable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that helped spin and benefited their players, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against England, was considered an anomaly.
Now, the team look to be easy pickings at home.
Facing the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, India were beaten at their own game. The tracks they prepared to favor their game went wrong completely, as the opposition used them more effectively, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is failing at home because local wickets have been altered from turners to quick wickets to prepare players to succeed overseas.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has removed the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would pose to them before.
Even though there is validity in each argument, it does not clarify why the side's results at home have seen such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not only one or two factors.
Critics and players have identified various flaws after India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the displays of the side.
Cricketers such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - came up short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Management Questions
The post-mortem also included not only the cricketers - team selectors and backroom team were also under fire, driven by distraught fans and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the criticism was team coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
