The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, the visiting team gave India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It was South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum established in the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the careers of multiple squad members - as well as head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this season, under a new captain, suggested a successful handover following the almost concurrent departures of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the commencement of the home season enhanced that perception, till the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.
India were somewhat unlucky that leader Shubman Gill got injured quickly in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the side of the highly disappointing performance in each match against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and several players hoping for lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second whitewash in home conditions endured by India in just over a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to the Proteas could damage the team's hopes of making the showpiece of this season as well.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings before the series, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Even though nine more Tests are still to come, a majority are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a major plus - even when facing the mighty Aussies. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
India's vulnerability in the longer format has been badly exposed. That said, why India have performed so poorly in Test matches at home recently is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that helped spin and benefited their players, India brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an anomaly.
Today, the team seem easy pickings in their own backyard.
Versus the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as the opposition used them more effectively, outplaying the home team's players when it mattered most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that India is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to perform better overseas.
A few mention that the IPL, in which several international stars take part, has taken away the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would present to them earlier.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for why the team's showings at home have seen such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complicated issue, not only a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have identified multiple deficiencies following India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the team lineup, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.
This was clear in the showings of the side.
Players such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - fell short in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but not well enough to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The review also included not only the cricketers - the selection panel and support staff were also criticized, spurred on by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the criticism was team coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
