India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recent Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' first series win in India in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum built over the last several months has all but vanished and the careers of a number of cricketers - along with head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The young team's strong showing in England this season, under a new captain, indicated a smooth transition after the close together retirements of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over the Windies at the commencement of the domestic season enhanced that perception, until the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill suffered an injury quickly in the opening Test and did not participate again in the contest. But that fails to account for the side of the terribly sub-par performance in each match against South Africa.
Some big reputations were damaged, and several players hoping for extended tenures in Tests were exposed as 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 a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a surprising 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage India's prospects of reaching the final of this cycle as well.
From number three in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Though nine further games are still to come, a majority are against Australia. Usually, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even against the powerful Australians. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's weakness in Test cricket has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, the reason the team have fared so badly in Tests on home soil recently is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an anomaly.
Today, India look to be vulnerable at home.
Against the Kiwis in last year and South Africa currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they developed to favor their game failed miserably, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that the Indian team is failing at home because home surfaces have been altered from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to succeed abroad.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has taken away the mystery and hardship home wickets would present to them in the past.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for the reason the side's results on home soil have seen such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a few causes.
Experts and participants have pointed to several failings post India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the team.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - were found wanting in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem also included not only the cricketers - the selection panel and backroom team were also questioned, fuelled by distraught fans and critical former players. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
