The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It was the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and the host nation's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum established in the previous half-year has all but vanished and the careers of a number of cricketers - along with head coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a successful handover post the almost concurrent retirements of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign strengthened that view, before the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Gill got injured early on in the opening Test and took no further part in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the side of the well below standard performance in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and multiple individuals aspiring to lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second clean sweep on home soil endured by the Indian team in just over a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 triumph which effectively cost India a spot in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage India's prospects of making the showpiece of this edition also.
After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to fifth place. Although nine further games are yet to be played, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even against the strong Australian side. But the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
India's frailty in Test cricket has been badly exposed. However, why the team have fared so badly in Tests on home soil lately is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on surfaces that assisted spinners and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an aberration.
Now, the team appear to be easy pickings on home turf.
Facing the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they curated to favor their game went wrong completely, as opponents exploited them better, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
Some suggest that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to perform better overseas.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would present to them earlier.
Even though there is some truth in both analyses, it still does not explain why India's performances on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a few causes.
Experts and participants have identified multiple deficiencies following the team's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, arrogance, regular alterations of the team lineup, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the team.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - fell short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not well enough to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem also included not only the cricketers - team selectors and support staff were also questioned, spurred on by distraught fans and critical former players. In the spotlight of the examination was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
