The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It was South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum gained during the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the prospects of a number of cricketers - including team coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The new-look squad's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a new captain, indicated a successful handover post the near-simultaneous exits of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the home campaign strengthened that view, before the Proteas arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
India were somewhat unlucky that skipper Gill was injured very early in the opening Test and was ruled out in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the side of the highly disappointing showing in both Tests against South Africa.
Some big reputations were damaged, and a few members aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
This was the second clean sweep on home soil suffered by India in just more than a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas risks harming the team's hopes of qualifying for the final of this edition too.
After being third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, India have dropped to fifth place. Even though nine further games are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a major plus - including against the mighty Aussies. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why India have performed so poorly in Test matches at home recently is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, India were seen as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on tracks that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an aberration.
Currently, India look to be vulnerable in their own backyard.
Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they developed to favor their game failed miserably, as the opposition exploited them better, beating the home team's players when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that the Indian team is floundering at home because domestic pitches have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to succeed overseas.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has reduced the surprise and difficulty home wickets would challenge them with in the past.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it still does not explain why the team's showings on home soil have experienced such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars identify a complicated issue, not only a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have identified several failings post the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and favoring limited-overs over the longer format.
This was evident in the showings of the side.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - were found wanting in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also questioned, fuelled by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the criticism was mentor Gambhir.
During his post-series press
