India's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory established in the last several months has all but vanished and the careers of several players - along with team coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The young team's commendable display in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, suggested a successful handover following the almost concurrent departures of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the commencement of the home season boosted that belief, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that captain Gill got injured quickly in the initial match and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the squad of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and a few members hoping for long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
This represented the second whitewash at home experienced by India in just more than a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 victory which practically cost India a berth in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas could damage the team's hopes of qualifying for the showpiece of this cycle too.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Even though nine further games are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even when facing the strong Australian side. However the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's vulnerability in the longer format has been badly exposed. That said, why India have performed so poorly in Tests at home recently is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were regarded as invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an aberration.
Now, India appear to be vulnerable in their own backyard.
Versus the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they curated to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as opponents used them more effectively, surpassing the home team's players when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling at home because home surfaces have been modified from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to succeed in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars play, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would challenge them with earlier.
Even though there is some truth in these views, it fails to account for the reason the side's results at home have experienced such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to one or two factors.
Critics and players have pointed to various flaws following India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the squad.
Players like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - came up short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted just the players - the selection panel and support staff were also under fire, driven by disappointed supporters and critical former players. Under focus of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
