India's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India a record defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. It was the Proteas' first series win in India in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum built over the previous half-year has all but vanished and the prospects of multiple squad members - including head mentor the coach - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Disappears
The emerging side's commendable display in England this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a successful handover post the almost concurrent retirements of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the home season enhanced that perception, before the Proteas arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the initial match and did not participate again in the series. However, that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par showing in both Tests against South Africa.
Some big reputations suffered, and multiple individuals hoping for extended tenures in Tests were shown as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
This was the second clean sweep on home soil experienced by the Indian team in just more than a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had pulled off a staggering 3-0 win which practically cost the hosts a spot in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas threatens to derail India's chances of making the final of this cycle as well.
From number three in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, the side have dropped to the fifth spot. Even though nine more Tests are remaining, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - including against the strong Australian side. However the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been badly exposed. However, the reason India have fared so badly in Test matches at home lately is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an exception.
Today, India appear to be easy pickings in their own backyard.
Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they prepared to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as rivals used them more effectively, outplaying the home team's players when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to succeed abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has removed the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would present to them in the past.
Even though there is some truth in these views, it fails to account for why the side's results on home soil have seen such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars point to a complicated issue, not just one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to multiple deficiencies following India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the playing XI, and favoring white-ball over the longer format.
This was clear in the showings of the team.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - fell short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but inadequately to secure victories.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - the selection panel and backroom team were also criticized, driven by upset followers and critical former players. At the centre of the criticism was team coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
