India's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. This represented South Africa's maiden series victory in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum built over the last several months has all but vanished and the careers of multiple squad members - along with team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Disappears
The new-look squad's commendable display in England this summer, under a new captain, indicated a smooth transition post the near-simultaneous departures of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season enhanced that perception, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
India were a tad unfortunate that captain Gill suffered an injury quickly in the initial match and did not participate again in the contest. But that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the highly disappointing showing in both Tests against the opposition.
Some big reputations were damaged, and multiple individuals hoping for extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
This was the second series sweep on home soil endured by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a spot in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to South Africa threatens to derail India's prospects of making the showpiece of this cycle also.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, India have fallen to fifth place. Even though nine further games are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a huge advantage - including against the mighty Aussies. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
India's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, the reason India have fared so badly in Tests on home soil in recent times is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an anomaly.
Now, India appear to be beatable at home.
Against New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they prepared to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that India is struggling at home because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to succeed overseas.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would challenge them with in the past.
While there is some truth in these views, it still does not explain the reason the side's results at home have experienced such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complicated issue, not just one or two factors.
Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies post the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, overconfidence, frequent changes of the playing XI, and prioritising white-ball over Test cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the team.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - came up short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Management Questions
The analysis also included just the players - selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, fuelled by distraught fans and critical former players. In the spotlight of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
