The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, the visiting team gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It was South Africa's maiden series victory in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory built over the past six months has almost disappeared and the futures of a number of cricketers - along with head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Disappears
The young team's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a seamless changeover after the near-simultaneous retirements of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the commencement of the home campaign enhanced that perception, before the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Gill got injured early on in the first Test and took no further part in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the terribly sub-par showing in each match against the opposition.
Some big reputations were damaged, and a few members eyeing extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second whitewash in home conditions suffered by India in just more than a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a berth in the WTC final.
The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming India's chances of qualifying for the final of this edition as well.
From number three in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, India have fallen to fifth place. Though nine additional matches are yet to be played, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even when facing the strong Australian side. However the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's weakness in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, the reason India have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil lately is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on tracks that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an anomaly.
Today, India appear to be easy pickings in their own backyard.
Versus the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to favor their game went wrong completely, as the opposition exploited them better, outplaying the home team's players when it counted the most.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that India is failing at home because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to quick wickets to train the squad to do well abroad.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars play, has removed the surprise and difficulty home wickets would pose to them in the past.
While there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for the reason India's performances at home have seen such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a few causes.
Critics and players have highlighted several failings following India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, poor choices, arrogance, frequent changes of the playing XI, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the side.
Cricketers like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - were found wanting in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted just the players - selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, fuelled by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. At the centre of the examination was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
