The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, South Africa handed India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It marked South Africa's maiden series victory in the subcontinent in 25 years and the host nation's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory established in the last several months has almost disappeared and the prospects of several players - along with head coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Disappears
The young team's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a successful handover after the near-simultaneous retirements of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the beginning of the home season enhanced that perception, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
The home side were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the opening Test and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the well below standard showing in both Tests against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and several players eyeing lengthy Test careers were shown as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second clean sweep on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a spot in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail India's chances of making the final of this edition also.
After being third in the WTC table before the series, India have fallen to number five. Even though nine further games are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a huge advantage - including against the strong Australian side. But the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, the reason India have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil recently is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as impregnable in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, the hosts brooked no opposition. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an exception.
Currently, India look to be vulnerable on home turf.
Facing New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they prepared to favor their game failed miserably, as rivals exploited them better, surpassing the home team's players when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that India is failing at home because domestic pitches have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to perform better abroad.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which several international stars take part, has removed the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would present to them earlier.
Even though there is validity in each argument, it still does not explain why the side's results at home have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complicated issue, not limited to one or two factors.
Experts and participants have highlighted multiple deficiencies post India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the team.
Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - came up short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The review also included the entire setup - selectors and backroom team were also under fire, spurred on by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
