India's unexpected 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It was the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in 25 years and the host nation's second home series loss in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm established in the last several months has almost disappeared and the prospects of multiple squad members - along with head coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The emerging side's strong showing in England this season, under a new captain, indicated a seamless changeover post the near-simultaneous departures of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the beginning of the domestic season boosted that belief, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were a tad unfortunate that captain Gill got injured very early in the first Test and did not participate again in the contest. But that does not excuse or justify the team of the terribly sub-par display in each match against the opposition.
Several established players were damaged, and multiple individuals hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second whitewash in home conditions suffered by the Indian team in just more than a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to the Proteas could damage the team's hopes of reaching the final of this season too.
After being third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, the side have dropped to number five. Though nine additional matches are still to come, five of these are against the Aussies. Typically, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even against the strong Australian side. However the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
India's vulnerability in Test cricket has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, why the team have performed so poorly in Tests at home recently is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, India brooked no opposition. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against England, was considered an anomaly.
Currently, India seem easy pickings on home turf.
Facing the Kiwis in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they curated to suit their strengths failed miserably, as rivals exploited them better, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because local wickets have been modified from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to perform better overseas.
Some point out that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would challenge them with earlier.
Although there is validity in both analyses, it does not clarify why the side's results on home soil have seen such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to various flaws post India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, arrogance, regular alterations of the playing XI, and favoring white-ball over the longer format.
This was evident in the performances of the team.
Players like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - were found wanting in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The review also included not only the cricketers - the selection panel and backroom team were also criticized, driven by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
