The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, the visiting team inflicted upon India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and India's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum built over the past six months has largely dissipated and the futures of several players - along with head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The new-look squad's commendable display in England this season, under a fresh leadership, indicated a smooth transition post the near-simultaneous departures of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the home season strengthened that view, till the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that leader Shubman Gill was injured quickly in the first Test and was ruled out in the contest. But that fails to account for the squad of the terribly sub-par display in both Tests against South Africa.
Some big reputations were damaged, and a few members hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This was the second whitewash in home conditions experienced by India in just over a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a place in the WTC final.
The latest loss to South Africa could damage the team's chances of reaching the showpiece of this edition as well.
After being third in the WTC table prior to the contest, the side have dropped to number five. Although nine additional matches are yet to be played, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even when facing the powerful Australians. However the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home recently is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an aberration.
Currently, India look to be easy pickings in their own backyard.
Versus New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they curated to help their style failed miserably, as opponents used them more effectively, beating the home team's players when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from turners to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to perform better abroad.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players take part, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would pose to them in the past.
Even though there is validity in these views, it does not clarify the reason the team's showings on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to one or two factors.
Critics and players have highlighted various flaws post India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.
This was obvious in the showings of the side.
Players like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv 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.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not well enough to secure victories.
Coaching Scrutiny
The analysis also included the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, fuelled by disappointed supporters and critical former players. Under focus of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
