The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, South Africa handed India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It marked the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory built over the past six months has almost disappeared and the futures of a number of cricketers - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Disappears
The emerging side's impressive performance in England this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a seamless changeover after the close together retirements of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the commencement of the home campaign enhanced that perception, until the Proteas turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that skipper Gill suffered an injury quickly in the initial match and did not participate again in the contest. But that does not excuse or justify the team of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against the opposition.
Several established players were damaged, and several players hoping for lengthy Test careers were shown as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
It was the second whitewash on home soil experienced by India in just over a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 triumph which effectively cost India a berth in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to the Proteas threatens to derail India's hopes of making the final of this cycle as well.
After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, India have dropped to fifth place. Even though nine further games are remaining, a majority are against Australia. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even against the strong Australian side. But the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
India's weakness in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, the reason the team have fared so badly in Tests on home soil in recent times is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that helped spin and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an aberration.
Now, the team seem beatable on home turf.
Versus New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they developed to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals used them more effectively, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that India is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from turners to fast tracks to prepare players to do well abroad.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has removed the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would present to them before.
Although there is some truth in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason India's performances at home have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not only a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have highlighted multiple deficiencies post India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the team lineup, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the squad.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - fell short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but inadequately to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The review targeted just the players - team selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, driven by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. At the centre of the scrutiny was head coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
