India's shocking 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India a record loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It was South Africa's first series win in India in 25 years and India's another home failure in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory gained during the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the futures of multiple squad members - including team coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Disappears
The new-look squad's strong showing in England this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a successful handover post the close together retirements of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the home season enhanced that perception, till the South Africans came and inflicted a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Gill suffered an injury very early in the initial match and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the team of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and a few members aspiring to long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second clean sweep at home experienced by India in just a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had secured a remarkable 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming the team's hopes of making the decider of this season also.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have dropped to number five. Although nine more Tests are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a major plus - even against the powerful Australians. But the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
India's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason the team have fared so badly in Tests at home lately is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were regarded as invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against England, was considered an exception.
Today, the team look to be beatable at home.
Against the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The pitches they curated to favor their game went wrong completely, as rivals exploited them better, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is floundering at home because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to do well overseas.
Some point out that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would pose to them in the past.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it does not clarify why the side's results at home have experienced such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players point to a multi-faceted challenge, not just one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted several failings after India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, arrogance, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the performances of the squad.
Players such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - came up short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis targeted the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also criticized, fuelled by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. Under focus of the scrutiny was head coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
