India's unexpected 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recently concluded red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, South Africa inflicted upon India a record loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It was South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory gained during the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the careers of a number of cricketers - including head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Disappears
The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this season, under a fresh leadership, indicated a successful handover after the almost concurrent retirements of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the start of the home season strengthened that view, until the South Africans arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
India were a tad unfortunate that leader Gill was injured early on in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. But that does not excuse or justify the team of the well below standard performance in both Tests against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and a few members eyeing long red-ball careers were exposed as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
It was the second whitewash on home soil endured by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had secured a surprising 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's prospects of reaching the final of this edition also.
Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Though nine additional matches are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a major plus - including against the powerful Australians. But the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, why the team have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil recently is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an anomaly.
Today, India seem beatable on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they developed to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the home team's players when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to quick wickets to prepare players to do well in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has taken away the surprise and difficulty home wickets would present to them in the past.
Although there is validity in these views, it still does not explain why the side's results on home soil have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to one or two factors.
Critics and players have identified multiple deficiencies post India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the side.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - were found wanting in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The analysis didn't spare just the players - team selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, spurred on by distraught fans and vocal past stars. Under focus of the criticism was mentor Gambhir.
During his post-series press
