The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. This represented the Proteas' maiden series victory in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm established in the previous half-year has all but vanished and the futures of several players - as well as team coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The young team's strong showing in the UK this season, under a new captain, indicated a seamless changeover post the near-simultaneous exits of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the commencement of the home campaign enhanced that perception, till the South Africans came and inflicted a fell blow.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the initial match and did not participate again in the series. However, that does not excuse or justify the squad of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and several players aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This was the second clean sweep on home soil experienced by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a surprising 3-0 triumph which effectively cost the hosts a spot in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming India's hopes of making the decider of this edition as well.
After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to fifth place. Although nine additional matches are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
India's vulnerability in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, the reason India have fared so badly in Tests at home in recent times is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, India were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an anomaly.
Today, India appear to be beatable on home turf.
Versus the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they curated to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as opponents used them more effectively, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is struggling in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to do well in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would present to them in the past.
While there is validity in each argument, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings on home soil have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players point to a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have highlighted multiple deficiencies following India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, poor choices, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was evident in the displays of the squad.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - fell short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but inadequately to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem didn't spare not only the cricketers - the selection panel and support staff were also under fire, fuelled by upset followers and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was head coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
