India's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, South Africa gave India a record defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It was South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum built over the previous half-year has all but vanished and the futures of several players - including head mentor Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Disappears
The new-look squad's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a smooth transition after the almost concurrent retirements of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over the Windies at the start of the home campaign boosted that belief, till the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.
India were somewhat unlucky that leader Gill was injured early on in the first Test and took no further part in the series. But that does not excuse or justify the team of the well below standard showing in both Tests against the opposition.
Several established players took a hit, and multiple individuals aspiring to long red-ball careers were shown as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This represented the second whitewash on home soil endured by India in just over a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 triumph which effectively cost the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to South Africa threatens to derail India's hopes of making the showpiece of this edition as well.
After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to the fifth spot. Although nine further games are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even when facing the strong Australian side. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
India's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, the reason the team have struggled so much in Tests on home soil lately is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an anomaly.
Now, India look to be vulnerable on home turf.
Facing New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they curated to favor their game went wrong completely, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that India is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to train the squad to perform better abroad.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has reduced the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would present to them before.
Even though there is validity in these views, it fails to account for why India's performances on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
Most former players point to a complicated issue, not just a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have pointed to several failings following the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and emphasizing white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the team.
Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - were found wanting in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but inadequately to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis also included just the players - selectors and backroom team were also under fire, spurred on by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was mentor Gambhir.
During his post-series press
