India's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, the visiting team handed India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum built over the past six months has all but vanished and the prospects of a number of cricketers - along with team coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The young team's commendable display in England this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a seamless changeover post the near-simultaneous exits of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over the Windies at the start of the home season boosted that belief, till the Proteas arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
India were somewhat unlucky that captain Gill suffered an injury quickly in the opening Test and was ruled out in the contest. But that does not excuse or justify the side of the highly disappointing display in each match against the opposition.
Several established players were damaged, and a few members aspiring to lengthy Test careers were exposed as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the format.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second clean sweep in home conditions suffered by India in just a year. Last year, underestimated the Kiwis had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 victory which practically cost India a place in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming India's prospects of making the showpiece of this season as well.
From number three in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have dropped to number five. Even though nine further games are yet to be played, a majority are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even against the mighty Aussies. However the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
India's vulnerability in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, the reason the team have struggled so much in Tests on home soil recently is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, India were seen as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an exception.
Currently, India appear to be vulnerable in their own backyard.
Versus New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they prepared to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as the opposition used them more effectively, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that the Indian team is failing at home because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to succeed abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has taken away the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would present to them in the past.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it still does not explain why the side's results at home have seen such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have identified various flaws following India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, poor choices, arrogance, frequent changes of the team lineup, and favoring limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the squad.
Members like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - fell short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - selectors and backroom team were also under fire, spurred on by distraught fans and vocal past stars. At the centre of the examination was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
