India's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum established in the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the futures of several players - as well as team coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a new captain, suggested a successful handover after the close together exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over West Indies at the start of the home campaign strengthened that view, until the Proteas came and inflicted a fell blow.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill was injured early on in the first Test and took no further part in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the side of the highly disappointing performance in both Tests against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and multiple individuals aspiring to lengthy Test careers were shown as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This was the second whitewash on home soil endured by India in just over a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had pulled off a staggering 3-0 victory which practically cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas threatens to derail India's prospects of making the final of this season also.
After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have dropped to the fifth spot. Even though nine further games are remaining, a majority are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even against the mighty Aussies. But the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
India's frailty in the longer format has been badly exposed. That said, the reason India have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil lately is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that assisted spinners and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an aberration.
Now, the team look to be vulnerable at home.
Versus New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The tracks they curated to help their style backfired spectacularly, as opponents exploited them better, surpassing the home team's players when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering at home because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to train the squad to do well abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would present to them in the past.
While there is some truth in each argument, it still does not explain why India's performances at home have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars point to a complicated issue, not only one or two factors.
Critics and players have pointed to various flaws post the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, poor choices, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and emphasizing white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the team.
Cricketers like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - were found wanting in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not well enough to secure victories.
Management Questions
The analysis targeted just the players - team selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, driven by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
