India's shocking 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, South Africa inflicted upon India a record defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in two and a half decades and India's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum built over the past six months has almost disappeared and the futures of a number of cricketers - including head coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Disappears
The new-look squad's commendable display in England this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a successful handover following the close together departures of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over West Indies at the commencement of the home campaign strengthened that view, before the Proteas turned up and handed out a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that captain Gill was injured quickly in the initial match and was ruled out in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and several players aspiring to long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This was the second series sweep in home conditions endured by India in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 win which practically cost the hosts a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage the team's chances of reaching the decider of this season too.
From number three in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, India have dropped to number five. Although nine further games are yet to be played, five of these are against Australia. Typically, playing at home would be a major plus - including against the mighty Aussies. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's weakness in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. However, the reason India have performed so poorly in Test matches at home lately is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on tracks that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an exception.
Now, the team look to be beatable on home turf.
Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to help their style backfired spectacularly, as opponents exploited them better, surpassing the home team's players when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that India is failing in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to do well in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the IPL, in which many overseas players play, has reduced the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would challenge them with earlier.
While there is validity in each argument, it still does not explain why the team's showings on home soil have experienced such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies following the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the playing XI, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.
This was obvious in the showings of the team.
Players like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - fell short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The review targeted the entire setup - selectors and backroom team were also questioned, fuelled by distraught fans and critical former players. At the centre of the scrutiny was head coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
