The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recent Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, the visiting team inflicted upon India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. It marked South Africa's initial series triumph in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory built over the last several months has almost disappeared and the prospects of multiple squad members - along with head mentor the coach - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Disappears
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, indicated a successful handover following the near-simultaneous retirements of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the start of the home season enhanced that perception, before the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
India were somewhat unlucky that skipper Gill was injured very early in the first Test and took no further part in the series. However, that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing showing in the two games against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and several players eyeing lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
It was the second clean sweep on home soil endured by India in just a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a remarkable 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa could damage the team's hopes of reaching the showpiece of this edition as well.
After being third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, India have dropped to number five. Though nine more Tests are remaining, five of these are against Australia. Usually, playing at home would be a major plus - including against the mighty Aussies. Yet the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
India's vulnerability in the longer format has been badly exposed. That said, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil recently is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, the hosts brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an anomaly.
Now, the team appear to be easy pickings on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in last year and South Africa currently, India were beaten at their own game. The pitches they prepared to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from spinning tracks to quick wickets to train the squad to perform better overseas.
Some point out that the IPL, in which several international stars play, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would pose to them in the past.
While there is validity in these views, it does not clarify the reason the side's results at home have seen such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complicated issue, not just a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have pointed to several failings post India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, frequent changes of the team lineup, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the team.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - came up short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not well enough to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem also included just the players - selectors and backroom team were also questioned, fuelled by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. Under focus of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
