The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recent Test series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, South Africa gave India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It marked the Proteas' first series win in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum built over the past six months has all but vanished and the careers of a number of cricketers - as well as head mentor the coach - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Disappears
The young team's strong showing in England this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a seamless changeover after the near-simultaneous departures of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the start of the domestic season enhanced that perception, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were somewhat unlucky that captain Shubman Gill was injured early on in the opening Test and did not participate again in the series. Yet that fails to account for the team of the well below standard showing in the two games against the opposition.
Several established players were damaged, and multiple individuals aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were exposed as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second whitewash on home soil experienced by India in just over a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a staggering 3-0 triumph which practically cost India a place in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to South Africa threatens to derail the team's chances of qualifying for the showpiece of this cycle also.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to the fifth spot. Though nine further games are remaining, half of these are against Australia. Typically, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even against the powerful Australians. However the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
India's weakness in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. However, why India have fared so badly in Tests on home soil lately is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that assisted spinners and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an exception.
Now, India appear to be vulnerable at home.
Versus New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The pitches they developed to favor their game went wrong completely, as the opposition exploited them better, surpassing the home team's players when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been altered from turners to fast tracks to prepare players to perform better overseas.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players take part, has removed the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would challenge them with in the past.
Even though there is some truth in these views, it still does not explain why India's performances on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to one or two factors.
Experts and participants have pointed to various flaws post India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, poor choices, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over the longer format.
This was clear in the showings of the side.
Members like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - came up short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not well enough to win matches.
Management Questions
The post-mortem also included not only the cricketers - team selectors and backroom team were also under fire, spurred on by distraught fans and critical former players. At the centre of the criticism was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
