The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, South Africa gave India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. This represented South Africa's maiden series victory in India in 25 years and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has largely dissipated and the prospects of several players - as well as head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The young team's commendable display in England this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a successful handover post the close together exits of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the start of the domestic season strengthened that view, till the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that leader Shubman Gill got injured quickly in the first Test and did not participate again in the contest. However, that fails to account for the side of the highly disappointing display in the two games against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and multiple individuals hoping for extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second whitewash at home endured by India in just over a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a spot in the WTC final.
The latest loss to the Proteas could damage the team's hopes of qualifying for the final of this cycle too.
From number three in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have dropped to number five. Though nine additional matches are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Usually, competing on home turf would be a major plus - including against the powerful Australians. But the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
India's frailty in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. However, why the team have struggled so much in Tests on home soil lately is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an exception.
Today, India seem easy pickings on home turf.
Versus New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they developed to help their style failed miserably, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is struggling in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to succeed abroad.
A few mention that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has removed the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would present to them in the past.
Even though there is some truth in both analyses, it fails to account for why India's performances at home have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
Most former players identify a multi-faceted challenge, not just one or two factors.
Critics and players have highlighted several failings post India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the team.
Players such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - were found wanting in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their ability and standing - but not well enough to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis targeted not only the cricketers - team selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, fuelled by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
