The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, the visiting team gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in 25 years and the host nation's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the careers of a number of cricketers - along with head mentor the coach - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Disappears
The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this season, under a new captain, indicated a smooth transition after the almost concurrent exits of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the start of the home campaign boosted that belief, before the Proteas arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. Yet that fails to account for the side of the terribly sub-par showing in both Tests against the opposition.
Several established players suffered, and several players aspiring to long red-ball careers were shown as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
This was the second whitewash on home soil endured by India in just a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 triumph which practically cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail India's prospects of reaching the showpiece of this edition as well.
From number three in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, India have dropped to fifth place. Even though nine further games are remaining, five of these are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - including against the strong Australian side. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
India's vulnerability in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. However, the reason India have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil lately is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on pitches that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an aberration.
Currently, the team seem beatable at home.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they curated to favor their game failed miserably, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the home team's players when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling at home because local wickets have been altered from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to do well in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has reduced the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would challenge them with earlier.
Although there is some truth in these views, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings at home have experienced such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players identify a multi-faceted challenge, not just a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have pointed to multiple deficiencies following the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.
This was evident in the displays of the team.
Players like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - fell short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not well enough to claim wins.
Management Questions
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - the selection panel and backroom team were also questioned, fuelled by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
