The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recently concluded red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, the visiting team gave India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and India's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm gained during the past six months has largely dissipated and the careers of a number of cricketers - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a seamless changeover post the almost concurrent departures of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the home season boosted that belief, until the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Shubman Gill got injured very early in the initial match and took no further part in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the team of the highly disappointing showing in both Tests against the opposition.
Several established players were damaged, and a few members aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were shown as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second clean sweep in home conditions suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 win which practically cost the hosts a spot in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage the team's hopes of making the final of this cycle too.
From number three in the WTC table prior to the contest, India have been relegated to fifth place. Although nine additional matches are yet to be played, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even when facing the strong Australian side. However the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. That said, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil lately is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on pitches that assisted spinners and benefited their players, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an anomaly.
Now, India appear to be vulnerable on home turf.
Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they curated to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as rivals used them more effectively, surpassing the home team's players when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from turners to quick wickets to prepare players to succeed in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would pose to them before.
Even though there is some truth in these views, it still does not explain why the team's showings on home soil have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to one or two factors.
Experts and participants have highlighted several failings after the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the squad.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - were found wanting in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis also included just the players - the selection panel and coaching staff were also criticized, fuelled by distraught fans and critical former players. In the spotlight of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
