India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recent Test series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It was the Proteas' first series win in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory gained during the past six months has all but vanished and the futures of multiple squad members - as well as head coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The new-look squad's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a successful handover post the near-simultaneous retirements of stalwarts R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the commencement of the home season strengthened that view, until the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the first Test and took no further part in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the well below standard display in both Tests against South Africa.
Some big reputations took a hit, and multiple individuals hoping for lengthy Test careers were shown as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Concerning History
It was the second whitewash on home soil suffered by India in just more than a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 victory which practically cost the hosts a berth in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to South Africa risks harming India's prospects of qualifying for the decider of this edition also.
After being third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to fifth place. Even though nine more Tests are yet to be played, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, playing at home would be a major plus - even against the strong Australian side. But the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, why the team have fared so badly in Tests on home soil recently is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that assisted spinners and benefited their players, India brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an aberration.
Currently, the team appear to be easy pickings on home turf.
Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they curated to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as rivals exploited them better, beating the home team's players when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that India is failing at home because local wickets have been modified from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to do well abroad.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players participate, has taken away the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would pose to them earlier.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it does not clarify the reason the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have highlighted multiple deficiencies post the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the playing XI, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.
This was evident in the showings of the team.
Cricketers such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - fell short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - team selectors and backroom team were also criticized, spurred on by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the examination was team coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
