India's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in 25 years and the host nation's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm gained during the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the prospects of multiple squad members - including team coach the coach - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The emerging side's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a different skipper, suggested a seamless changeover post the close together retirements of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the beginning of the domestic season boosted that belief, before the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Gill was injured quickly in the opening Test and did not participate again in the series. Yet that does not excuse or justify the side of the terribly sub-par display in each match against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and multiple individuals hoping for long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second clean sweep on home soil endured by India in just a year. Last year, underestimated the Kiwis had pulled off a surprising 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a place in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to the Proteas could damage the team's chances of qualifying for the decider of this edition too.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings before the series, India have fallen to number five. Even though nine additional matches are remaining, five of these are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - including against the strong Australian side. However the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, the reason India have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil recently is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, India were considered impregnable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts brooked no opposition. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an aberration.
Now, India appear to be easy pickings at home.
Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they curated to help their style failed miserably, as rivals used them more effectively, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from turners to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to succeed abroad.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has removed the surprise and difficulty home wickets would present to them before.
While there is validity in each argument, it fails to account for the reason the side's results at home have experienced such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars identify a complicated issue, not just a few causes.
Critics and players have identified multiple deficiencies following the team's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, poor choices, arrogance, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the squad.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - were found wanting in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not well enough to win matches.
Management Questions
The post-mortem also included just the players - selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, spurred on by distraught fans and vocal past stars. Under focus of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
