India's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum established in the past six months has largely dissipated and the careers of a number of cricketers - along with team coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Disappears
The young team's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a successful handover following the near-simultaneous departures of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over the Windies at the start of the domestic season enhanced that perception, before the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill was injured very early in the first Test and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that does not excuse or justify the squad of the well below standard display in both Tests against the opposition.
Several established players suffered, and several players hoping for lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
It was the second clean sweep in home conditions suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had pulled off a surprising 3-0 win which practically cost India a place in the WTC final.
The latest loss to South Africa risks harming the team's hopes of reaching the showpiece of this edition also.
After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have fallen to the fifth spot. Even though nine more Tests are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a major plus - including against the strong Australian side. But the failures against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's frailty in Test cricket has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, the reason India have struggled so much in Tests on home soil lately is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were considered invincible in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on surfaces that assisted spinners and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an aberration.
Currently, India look to be easy pickings in their own backyard.
Against the Kiwis in last year and South Africa currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they curated to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the Indian batters 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 changed from spinning tracks to fast tracks to train the squad to succeed overseas.
A few mention that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has taken away the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would challenge them with before.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for why India's performances at home have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players diagnose a complicated issue, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have highlighted various flaws after India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, frequent changes of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over the longer format.
This was obvious in the displays of the team.
Members such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - came up short in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The review also included the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also criticized, fuelled by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the criticism was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
