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, the visiting team handed India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It marked South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum gained during the past six months has all but vanished and the futures of multiple squad members - along with team coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The young team's impressive performance in England this season, under a new captain, suggested a successful handover post the near-simultaneous departures of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over the Windies at the beginning of the domestic season strengthened that view, before the South Africans came and inflicted a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that leader Gill got injured early on in the first Test and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that does not excuse or justify the team of the well below standard performance in each match against the opposition.
Several established players were damaged, and multiple individuals eyeing lengthy Test careers were exposed as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second series sweep on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had secured a remarkable 3-0 victory which effectively 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 cycle also.
From number three in the WTC table before the series, the side have dropped to number five. Even though nine more Tests are yet to be played, five of these are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a major plus - including against the powerful Australians. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. That said, the reason India have struggled so much in Tests on home soil recently is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Today, India look to be vulnerable at home.
Facing New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to favor their game went wrong completely, as the opposition exploited them better, beating the home team's players when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from spinning tracks to quick wickets to prepare players to succeed overseas.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players take part, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would pose to them before.
Even though there is some truth in these views, it fails to account for the reason the side's results at home have experienced such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
Most former players identify a complicated issue, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have highlighted various flaws post India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and favoring white-ball over the longer format.
This was clear in the performances of the squad.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - came up short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not well enough to secure victories.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted just the players - the selection panel and support staff were also questioned, fuelled by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. Under focus of the scrutiny was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
