The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 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 a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and India's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm gained during the last several months has all but vanished and the prospects of several players - as well as team coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Disappears
The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a seamless changeover after the close together retirements of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the start of the home campaign strengthened that view, till the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.
The home side were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the first Test and was ruled out in the contest. But that fails to account for the squad of the terribly sub-par display in each match against South Africa.
Some big reputations took a hit, and a few members aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second series sweep in home conditions endured by India in just a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 triumph which practically cost India a place in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas risks harming the team's chances of qualifying for the decider of this cycle also.
After being third in the Test championship standings before the series, India have dropped to the fifth spot. Though nine further games are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even against the strong Australian side. Yet the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
India's weakness in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, the reason the team have fared so badly in Tests at home in recent times is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, India were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that helped spin and benefited their players, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an aberration.
Currently, the team seem vulnerable at home.
Versus New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they curated to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that India is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to perform better in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which many overseas players participate, has reduced the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would pose to them in the past.
Although there is validity in each argument, it does not clarify the reason the team's showings on home soil have experienced such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a few causes.
Critics and players have pointed to multiple deficiencies post the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, poor choices, overconfidence, frequent changes of the team lineup, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the squad.
Cricketers like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - came up short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but inadequately to claim wins.
Management Questions
The analysis didn't spare not only the cricketers - the selection panel and coaching staff were also under fire, driven by upset followers and vocal past stars. Under focus of the examination was mentor Gambhir.
At his post-series press
