India's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, the visiting team handed India a record Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the careers of multiple squad members - along with team coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The young team's strong showing in England this season, under a new captain, suggested a seamless changeover after the near-simultaneous retirements of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign strengthened that view, till the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
India were somewhat unlucky that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the initial match and did not participate again in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing display in the two games against South Africa.
Some big reputations suffered, and several players aspiring to lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not up to the mark - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second whitewash at home suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. Last year, underestimated the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a spot in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to the Proteas risks harming India's prospects of reaching the final of this season too.
From number three in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have dropped to number five. Although nine further games are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Usually, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even when facing the strong Australian side. However the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. That said, the reason India have struggled so much in Test matches at home recently is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an aberration.
Now, the team look to be beatable at home.
Against New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they developed to help their style failed miserably, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that India is struggling at home because home surfaces have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to do well in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players take part, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would present to them in the past.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for why India's performances at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complicated issue, not just a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have highlighted multiple deficiencies post India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the team lineup, and emphasizing white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the team.
Cricketers such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - came up short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, fuelled by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. Under focus of the examination was team coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
