India's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recent Test series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. This represented South Africa's initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's second home series loss in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm built over the past six months has almost disappeared and the futures of a number of cricketers - along with head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a seamless changeover post the near-simultaneous retirements of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the domestic season enhanced that perception, until the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill got injured quickly in the initial match and took no further part in the series. But that fails to account for the squad of the well below standard display in the two games against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and a few members aspiring to lengthy Test careers were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
It was the second series sweep on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just more than a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a spot in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming the team's prospects of qualifying for the decider of this cycle also.
From number three in the Test championship standings before the series, India have fallen to fifth place. Although nine additional matches are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a major plus - including against the strong Australian side. However the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. That said, the reason India have fared so badly in Tests on home soil in recent times is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India brooked no opposition. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an exception.
Today, the team seem beatable at home.
Against New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as the opposition exploited them better, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is struggling at home because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to quick wickets to train the squad to succeed in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has removed the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would pose to them earlier.
Although there is validity in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars diagnose a complicated issue, not just one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have identified various flaws post India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and favoring limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was evident in the displays of the side.
Members like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - came up short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem didn't spare just the players - team selectors and backroom team were also criticized, spurred on by distraught fans and critical former players. In the spotlight of the examination was mentor Gambhir.
At his post-series press
