The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, South Africa inflicted upon India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It was South Africa's initial series triumph in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory gained during the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the prospects of several players - along with team coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a smooth transition after the almost concurrent exits of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the start of the home campaign enhanced that perception, until the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill got injured early on in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. However, that does not excuse or justify the side of the highly disappointing display in the two games against South Africa.
Some big reputations were damaged, and a few members aspiring to long red-ball careers were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This was the second clean sweep on home soil experienced by India in just a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had pulled off a surprising 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas could damage India's hopes of making the final of this cycle too.
After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have dropped to the fifth spot. Though nine further games are yet to be played, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even against the mighty Aussies. However the failures against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
India's vulnerability in the longer format has been clearly revealed. However, the reason the team have fared so badly in Tests at home in recent times is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, India were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that helped spin and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an exception.
Currently, the team appear to be vulnerable in their own backyard.
Versus the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they prepared to help their style backfired spectacularly, as the opposition used them more effectively, outplaying the home team's players when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that India is failing at home because local wickets have been altered from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to succeed in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has taken away the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would pose to them in the past.
Although there is some truth in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the side's results at home have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to several failings post the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the playing XI, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.
This was clear in the showings of the squad.
Members such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - fell short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, driven by distraught fans and critical former players. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press