India's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in 25 years and the host nation's second defeat at home in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum built over the past six months has all but vanished and the futures of a number of cricketers - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Disappears
The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a new captain, indicated a successful handover following the close together retirements of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over the Windies at the beginning of the home season boosted that belief, until the Proteas arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill suffered an injury very early in the opening Test and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the team of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and several players aspiring to long red-ball careers were revealed to be not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This was the second clean sweep on home soil endured by the Indian team in just over a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 victory which practically cost India a berth in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to South Africa risks harming India's chances of making the decider of this cycle as well.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table before the series, the side have fallen to number five. Even though nine additional matches are yet to be played, five of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - including against the strong Australian side. But the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's vulnerability in the longer format has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, the reason the team have fared so badly in Test matches at home in recent times is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an exception.
Currently, the team look to be beatable on home turf.
Facing the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The pitches they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the home team's players when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from spinning tracks to fast tracks to prepare players to perform better in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars play, has taken away the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would challenge them with in the past.
Although there is validity in both analyses, it does not clarify why the side's results at home have experienced such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a multi-faceted challenge, not only a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have identified various flaws post India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and favoring limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the team.
Members such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - fell short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not well enough to win matches.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - the selection panel and backroom team were also under fire, driven by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
