The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, the visiting team handed 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 home series loss in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory built over the previous half-year has all but vanished and the futures of a number of cricketers - along with team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The new-look squad's strong showing in England this season, under a new captain, suggested a successful handover after the close together exits of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over the Windies at the commencement of the home campaign boosted that belief, until the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.
India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Gill suffered an injury early on in the opening Test and did not participate again in the contest. But that neither explains nor absolves the side of the well below standard showing in each match against the opposition.
Several established players were damaged, and a few members hoping for extended tenures in Tests were shown as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the format.
Concerning History
It was the second series sweep on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 triumph which effectively cost the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming the team's hopes of qualifying for the final of this cycle also.
Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have fallen to number five. Though nine additional matches are remaining, five of these are against the Aussies. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - including against the mighty Aussies. Yet the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's vulnerability in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why the team have performed so poorly in Tests at home lately is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, India faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, such as in 2012-13 against England, was considered an anomaly.
Today, India seem vulnerable on home turf.
Facing New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they prepared to favor their game failed miserably, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the home team's players when it was most crucial.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that India is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to prepare players to succeed overseas.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would pose to them earlier.
While there is some truth in these views, it still does not explain why India's performances at home have experienced such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars point to a complicated issue, not limited to a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted several failings post the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, frequent changes of the team lineup, and emphasizing white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the showings of the team.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - were found wanting in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Management Questions
The analysis also included the entire setup - the selection panel and backroom team were also under fire, spurred on by distraught fans and critical former players. Under focus of the scrutiny was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
