The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. This represented the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in 25 years and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm established in the last several months has almost disappeared and the prospects of multiple squad members - along with head coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a seamless changeover post the near-simultaneous exits of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the home season enhanced that perception, till the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the initial match and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the squad of the highly disappointing performance in both Tests against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and a few members eyeing lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This represented the second whitewash at home experienced by the Indian team in just more than a year. Last year, underestimated the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage India's hopes of making the decider of this edition also.
From number three in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, the side have been relegated to the fifth spot. Though nine further games are remaining, a majority are against Australia. Typically, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
India's weakness in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil in recent times is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an aberration.
Now, the team look to be vulnerable on home turf.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The pitches they developed to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as the opposition used them more effectively, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that the Indian team is struggling at home because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to succeed abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has removed the surprise and difficulty home wickets would present to them in the past.
While there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it does not clarify the reason the team's showings at home have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a few causes.
Critics and players have pointed to several failings following India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the side.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - were found wanting in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but inadequately to win matches.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, spurred on by disappointed supporters and critical former players. At the centre of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
