The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recent Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, the visiting team handed India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and the host nation's another home failure in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm built over the past six months has largely dissipated and the careers of several players - including team coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The emerging side's strong showing in England this season, under a fresh leadership, indicated a smooth transition following the almost concurrent departures of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the commencement of the home campaign enhanced that perception, till the South Africans came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill got injured very early in the first Test and took no further part in the contest. However, that fails to account for the team of the well below standard display in each match against South Africa.
Several established players took a hit, and a few members aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were shown as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second clean sweep in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just more than a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a spot in the WTC final.
The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming India's chances of making the showpiece of this season also.
From number three in the WTC table before the series, the side have been relegated to fifth place. Even though nine additional matches are yet to be played, a majority are against the Aussies. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - including against the powerful Australians. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. However, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home in recent times is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on pitches that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an aberration.
Currently, the team seem easy pickings at home.
Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they developed to help their style failed miserably, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that India is struggling at home because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to succeed in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has taken away the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would present to them earlier.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings on home soil have experienced such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to multiple deficiencies after India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the squad.
Members like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - fell short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not well enough to claim wins.
Management Questions
The review targeted just the players - the selection panel and support staff were also criticized, driven by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the criticism was mentor Gambhir.
During his post-series press
