India's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and the host nation's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory established in the past six months has almost disappeared and the futures of several players - along with team coach the coach - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Disappears
The young team's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a seamless changeover following the near-simultaneous retirements of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the start of the domestic season boosted that belief, till the Proteas turned up and handed out a fell blow.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Gill was injured quickly in the first Test and was ruled out in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par showing in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and multiple individuals eyeing long red-ball careers were shown as not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the format.
Concerning History
It was the second whitewash in home conditions experienced by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had pulled off a staggering 3-0 triumph which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming the team's prospects of reaching the showpiece of this season as well.
From number three in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have been relegated to number five. Although nine further games are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - including against the powerful Australians. However the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, why India have fared so badly in Tests at home recently is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as impregnable in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an exception.
Today, India seem beatable on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they curated to help their style backfired spectacularly, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from spinning tracks to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to succeed overseas.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players play, has reduced the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would present to them earlier.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the side's results on home soil have experienced such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players point to a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted multiple deficiencies following India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, overconfidence, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.
This was clear in the showings of the team.
Players like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - fell short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but inadequately to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem didn't spare the entire setup - the selection panel and coaching staff were also criticized, spurred on by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the examination was team coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
