India's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, South Africa inflicted upon India a record defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory established in the past six months has largely dissipated and the futures of multiple squad members - as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Disappears
The new-look squad's strong showing in England this season, under a different skipper, suggested a successful handover following the close together exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the home season boosted that belief, before the Proteas turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
India were somewhat unlucky that leader Gill suffered an injury early on in the first Test and took no further part in the contest. However, that fails to account for the side of the highly disappointing showing in the two games against the opposition.
Some big reputations suffered, and a few members eyeing long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
This represented the second clean sweep at home endured by India in just a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 win which practically cost India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to the Proteas threatens to derail India's hopes of reaching the showpiece of this edition too.
Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to fifth place. Although nine further games are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Usually, playing at home would be a major plus - even when facing the mighty Aussies. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
India's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil lately is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were regarded as impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an anomaly.
Today, India appear to be beatable on home turf.
Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as opponents exploited them better, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is failing at home because domestic pitches have been modified from turners to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to perform better abroad.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would pose to them earlier.
Although there is some truth in these views, it still does not explain why India's performances at home have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
Most former players diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have identified several failings after India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, regular alterations of the playing XI, and favoring limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the side.
Members such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - were found wanting in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their ability and standing - but inadequately to claim wins.
Management Questions
The post-mortem also included just the players - the selection panel and coaching staff were also under fire, spurred on by distraught fans and vocal past stars. Under focus of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
