The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. This represented South Africa's maiden series victory in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's second home series loss in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory built over the past six months has all but vanished and the careers of multiple squad members - along with head coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Disappears
The emerging side's strong showing in England this season, under a new captain, suggested a seamless changeover following the almost concurrent exits of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over the Windies at the commencement of the home campaign boosted that belief, until the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.
India were somewhat unlucky that captain Gill was injured very early in the first Test and was ruled out in the contest. However, that fails to account for the side of the well below standard performance in the two games against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and a few members eyeing long red-ball careers were exposed as not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second whitewash on home soil endured by the Indian team in just more than a year. Last year, underestimated the Kiwis had pulled off a surprising 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail India's chances of qualifying for the decider of this cycle also.
Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, India have dropped to the fifth spot. Though nine additional matches are yet to be played, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even against the mighty Aussies. But the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
India's weakness in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, why the team have struggled so much in Test matches at home lately is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that helped spin and benefited their players, India brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an anomaly.
Now, the team appear to be vulnerable in their own backyard.
Facing New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they curated to favor their game went wrong completely, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is struggling at home because home surfaces have been changed from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to succeed in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which several international stars participate, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would pose to them earlier.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it still does not explain why India's performances on home soil have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have pointed to various flaws post the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and favoring limited-overs over the longer format.
This was obvious in the showings of the side.
Players such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - came up short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Just a few - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but inadequately to win matches.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - the selection panel and coaching staff were also criticized, fuelled by distraught fans and critical former players. In the spotlight of the examination was head coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
