The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recent Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It marked the Proteas' first series win in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory established in the last several months has all but vanished and the prospects of several players - including team coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a new captain, indicated a successful handover post the near-simultaneous departures of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the beginning of the home season enhanced that perception, until the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.
India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the initial match and did not participate again in the series. Yet that does not excuse or justify the team of the well below standard showing in both Tests against the opposition.
Several established players were damaged, and a few members aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were shown as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second whitewash in home conditions experienced by India in just a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 win which effectively cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas risks harming India's hopes of making the final of this edition also.
After being third in the WTC table before the series, the side have been relegated to number five. Although nine more Tests are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even when facing the strong Australian side. However the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's weakness in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, the reason India have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil in recent times is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an aberration.
Today, the team appear to be easy pickings in their own backyard.
Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they prepared to favor their game failed miserably, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the home team's players when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that India is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to prepare players to succeed in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would challenge them with in the past.
Although there is some truth in these views, it still does not explain why the side's results on home soil have experienced such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complicated issue, not limited to a few causes.
Experts and participants have pointed to various flaws following India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and prioritising limited-overs over the longer format.
This was evident in the displays of the side.
Members like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - came up short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis didn't spare the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also questioned, driven by distraught fans and critical former players. At the centre of the scrutiny was head coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
