The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recent Test series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, South Africa gave India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It was South Africa's first series win in India in 25 years and the host nation's second defeat at home in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm built over the previous half-year has all but vanished and the futures of multiple squad members - as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The emerging side's impressive performance in England this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a smooth transition following the near-simultaneous departures of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the home campaign boosted that belief, till the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were a tad unfortunate that leader Shubman Gill got injured early on in the first Test and took no further part in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the terribly sub-par showing in each match against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and multiple individuals aspiring to lengthy Test careers were shown as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Worrying Trend
It was the second clean sweep on home soil endured by the Indian team in just over a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 triumph which effectively cost India a place in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to the Proteas could damage the team's chances of making the showpiece of this edition as well.
After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Even though nine further games are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even when facing the powerful Australians. However the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
India's vulnerability in Test cricket has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, the reason India have performed so poorly in Tests at home lately is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, India were considered unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that assisted spinners and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an exception.
Currently, India appear to be beatable at home.
Versus New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they developed to favor their game went wrong completely, as the opposition used them more effectively, surpassing the home team's players when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is floundering at home because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to perform better abroad.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which several international stars play, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would pose to them earlier.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for why India's performances at home have seen such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars point to a multi-faceted challenge, not just a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted several failings after the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the team lineup, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the squad.
Cricketers such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - fell short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but inadequately to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, fuelled by upset followers and vocal past stars. Under focus of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
