The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, the visiting team handed India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm built over the last several months has all but vanished and the futures of a number of cricketers - along with head mentor Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The young team's strong showing in England this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a successful handover post the almost concurrent exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season strengthened that view, before the Proteas arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
India were somewhat unlucky that leader Shubman Gill got injured very early in the first Test and did not participate again in the series. However, that does not excuse or justify the squad of the highly disappointing performance in each match against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and a few members hoping for long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second clean sweep at home experienced by the Indian team in just more than a year. Last year, underestimated the Kiwis had pulled off a staggering 3-0 triumph which practically cost India a spot in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to South Africa risks harming India's chances of making the decider of this season too.
After being third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Although nine further games are yet to be played, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - including against the strong Australian side. But the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
India's weakness in the longer format has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, the reason India have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil lately is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were considered unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, the hosts brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, such as in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an anomaly.
Currently, India look to be beatable on home turf.
Facing New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they curated to favor their game went wrong completely, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the home team's players when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that India is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been altered from spinning tracks to fast tracks to train the squad to do well abroad.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would pose to them before.
While there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it does not clarify the reason the team's showings on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
Most former players identify a multi-faceted challenge, not just a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have pointed to multiple deficiencies after India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.
This was clear in the performances of the squad.
Players such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - fell short in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but inadequately to win matches.
Management Questions
The review didn't spare the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also under fire, fuelled by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
