India's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, South Africa gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has largely dissipated and the careers of multiple squad members - along with head coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The young team's impressive performance in England this summer, under a new captain, indicated a successful handover following the close together departures of stalwarts R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign strengthened that view, until the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.
India were somewhat unlucky that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury quickly in the first Test and did not participate again in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and a few members aspiring to long red-ball careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second clean sweep on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had pulled off a surprising 3-0 win which practically cost India a place in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to the Proteas could damage the team's hopes of making the decider of this cycle also.
After being third in the WTC table before the series, India have dropped to number five. Although nine additional matches are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil in recent times is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, India were seen as unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Currently, India look to be beatable in their own backyard.
Facing New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they developed to help their style backfired spectacularly, as rivals used them more effectively, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that India is floundering at home because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to quick wickets to prepare players to perform better in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would pose to them earlier.
While there is validity in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complicated issue, not just a few causes.
Critics and players have identified various flaws after India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and favoring white-ball over Test cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the team.
Members such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - fell short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but inadequately to secure victories.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem also included not only the cricketers - team selectors and backroom team were also questioned, fuelled by upset followers and vocal past stars. At the centre of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
