The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. It marked South Africa's initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and India's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm gained during the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the prospects of several players - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The emerging side's impressive performance in England this season, under a new captain, suggested a seamless changeover following the near-simultaneous exits of stalwarts R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign enhanced that perception, till the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill got injured very early in the first Test and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the squad of the well below standard performance in both Tests against the opposition.
Several established players took a hit, and multiple individuals aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
This was the second clean sweep at home endured by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had pulled off a surprising 3-0 triumph which effectively cost the hosts a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming India's prospects of qualifying for the showpiece of this cycle too.
From number three in the WTC table before the series, India have been relegated to number five. Although nine further games are yet to be played, five of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even against the strong Australian side. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
India's weakness in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason the team have struggled so much in Test matches at home in recent times is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that assisted spinners and aided their squad, India brooked no opposition. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an exception.
Today, the team look to be easy pickings in their own backyard.
Against the Kiwis in last year and South Africa currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they prepared to help their style went wrong completely, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that India is failing at home because home surfaces have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to perform better in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would present to them before.
While there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it still does not explain why India's performances at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have identified various flaws after the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and favoring white-ball over the longer format.
This was obvious in the performances of the squad.
Members such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - were found wanting in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not well enough to claim wins.
Management Questions
The post-mortem also included not only the cricketers - the selection panel and backroom team were also questioned, spurred on by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. At the centre of the examination was mentor Gambhir.
In his post-series press
