India's unexpected 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory gained during the past six months has largely dissipated and the careers of multiple squad members - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The young team's strong showing in England this season, under a fresh leadership, indicated a seamless changeover after the almost concurrent retirements of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the home campaign boosted that belief, until the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill was injured early on in the first Test and did not participate again in the series. However, that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the highly disappointing showing in each match against the opposition.
Some big reputations were damaged, and multiple individuals eyeing long red-ball careers were exposed as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Concerning History
It was the second series sweep at home experienced by India in just over a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a staggering 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa threatens to derail the team's chances of making the decider of this season as well.
From number three in the Test championship standings before the series, India have been relegated to fifth place. Even though nine further games are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even when facing the powerful Australians. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
India's vulnerability in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. However, why the team have fared so badly in Tests on home soil recently is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were considered impregnable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that assisted spinners and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an exception.
Today, India appear to be vulnerable in their own backyard.
Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they prepared to help their style failed miserably, as opponents used them more effectively, beating the home team's players when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to fast tracks to train the squad to do well abroad.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars take part, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would pose to them in the past.
Although there is some truth in each argument, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings at home have experienced such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have identified several failings after India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, poor choices, overconfidence, frequent changes of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the side.
Members like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - fell short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but inadequately to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis targeted not only the cricketers - selectors and support staff were also under fire, fuelled by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
