India's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, South Africa gave India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum built over the previous half-year has all but vanished and the prospects of several players - including head mentor the coach - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The young team's strong showing in England this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a smooth transition after the close together retirements of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the home season strengthened that view, before the South Africans came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Gill was injured early on in the first Test and was ruled out in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the team of the well below standard showing in the two games against South Africa.
Some big reputations suffered, and a few members aspiring to lengthy Test careers were shown as not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Concerning History
It was the second clean sweep at home experienced by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a remarkable 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a berth in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming India's chances of making the decider of this cycle as well.
After being third in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Though nine further games are remaining, five of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even when facing the mighty Aussies. But the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's weakness in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, the reason the team have fared so badly in Tests on home soil recently is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were regarded as invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an anomaly.
Today, the team appear to be vulnerable at home.
Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they curated to help their style failed miserably, as the opposition exploited them better, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that India is failing at home because home surfaces have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to do well abroad.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has reduced the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would pose to them before.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it does not clarify why the team's showings on home soil have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
Most former players identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not just one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to various flaws following India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and favoring limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the side.
Players such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - came up short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - selectors and backroom team were also criticized, driven by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
