India's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. It marked South Africa's initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm gained during the past six months has largely dissipated and the futures of a number of cricketers - as well as head coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The emerging side's commendable display in England this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a smooth transition post the almost concurrent exits of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over West Indies at the start of the home season strengthened that view, until the South Africans arrived to deliver a fell blow.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill got injured quickly in the opening Test and was ruled out in the series. However, that fails to account for the side of the terribly sub-par display in each match against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and several players eyeing lengthy Test careers were shown as not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the format.
Concerning History
It was the second whitewash at home suffered by India in just more than a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a spot in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's hopes of reaching the decider of this cycle too.
From number three in the WTC table prior to the contest, India have dropped to fifth place. Although nine additional matches are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why India have performed so poorly in Tests at home recently is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, India were considered invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an aberration.
Today, the team look to be vulnerable in their own backyard.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they curated to help their style backfired spectacularly, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the home team's players when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that India is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from turners to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to perform better abroad.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars participate, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would present to them earlier.
Even though there is validity in each argument, it still does not explain why India's performances at home have experienced such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not only a few causes.
Experts and participants have highlighted several failings following the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, frequent changes of the playing XI, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.
This was evident in the performances of the squad.
Players like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - came up short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem didn't spare not only the cricketers - the selection panel and support staff were also questioned, driven by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was mentor Gambhir.
In his post-series press
