The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, South Africa handed India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. This represented South Africa's first series win in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory gained during the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the careers of a number of cricketers - including head mentor Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The emerging side's strong showing in England this season, under a different skipper, indicated a smooth transition after the near-simultaneous retirements of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over the Windies at the commencement of the home campaign enhanced that perception, till the Proteas arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Gill got injured early on in the initial match and took no further part in the series. But that does not excuse or justify the squad of the well below standard performance in both Tests against the opposition.
Several established players took a hit, and several players hoping for lengthy Test careers were shown as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the format.
Concerning History
This represented the second clean sweep in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 triumph which practically cost the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa risks harming the team's hopes of making the decider of this edition too.
From number three in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to the fifth spot. Though nine additional matches are remaining, five of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
India's weakness in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, why India have performed so poorly in Tests at home recently is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Currently, India look to be vulnerable at home.
Facing New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from turners to fast tracks to prepare players to perform better overseas.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars play, has taken away the mystery and hardship home wickets would pose to them before.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for why the team's showings on home soil have seen such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complicated issue, not only a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have identified multiple deficiencies following the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and favoring limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the side.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - came up short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but inadequately to secure victories.
Management Questions
The analysis didn't spare the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also under fire, driven by distraught fans and critical former players. At the centre of the examination was mentor Gambhir.
In his post-series press
