India's shocking 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum established in the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the prospects of a number of cricketers - including team coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Disappears
The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this season, under a different skipper, indicated a successful handover after the close together exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over the Windies at the beginning of the home season boosted that belief, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Gill got injured early on in the first Test and did not participate again in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing showing in the two games against the opposition.
Several established players took a hit, and a few members eyeing long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the format.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second clean sweep in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had pulled off a staggering 3-0 win which practically cost India a berth in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail India's prospects of making the showpiece of this season also.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table before the series, India have dropped to the fifth spot. Though nine more Tests are yet to be played, a majority are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even when facing the strong Australian side. However the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's weakness in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, the reason India have struggled so much in Tests on home soil lately is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that helped spin and benefited their players, India dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an anomaly.
Now, India seem easy pickings in their own backyard.
Versus New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they prepared to help their style backfired spectacularly, as opponents used them more effectively, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that India is struggling at home because home surfaces have been changed from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to perform better abroad.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would pose to them before.
While there is validity in each argument, it still does not explain why the team's showings on home soil have experienced such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to multiple deficiencies after the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, poor choices, overconfidence, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and prioritising limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the team.
Players such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - were found wanting in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem didn't spare the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also questioned, driven by distraught fans and critical former players. At the centre of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
