The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, the visiting team handed India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in 25 years and the host nation's second home series loss in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum gained during the past six months has all but vanished and the prospects of several players - as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The young team's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a successful handover post the almost concurrent departures of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the beginning of the home campaign boosted that belief, before the South Africans came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Gill got injured very early in the opening Test and did not participate again in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par showing in each match against the opposition.
Several established players took a hit, and multiple individuals eyeing lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Concerning History
This was the second whitewash in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just more than a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a remarkable 3-0 win which effectively cost the hosts a berth in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to South Africa risks harming the team's hopes of qualifying for the showpiece of this edition too.
After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have been relegated to fifth place. Although nine further games are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even against the mighty Aussies. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil lately is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on tracks that helped spin and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an exception.
Today, the team appear to be easy pickings on home turf.
Facing New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The tracks they developed to help their style went wrong completely, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the home team's players when it mattered most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that India is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to succeed in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has removed the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would challenge them with in the past.
While there is validity in these views, it fails to account for the reason the side's results on home soil have experienced such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not only one or two factors.
Experts and participants have pointed to several failings following the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was evident in the displays of the side.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - came up short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not well enough to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The review didn't spare not only the cricketers - selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, spurred on by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. At the centre of the examination was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
