India's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, the visiting team gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It marked South Africa's maiden series victory in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum built over the past six months has almost disappeared and the futures of multiple squad members - along with head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's commendable display in the UK this season, under a different skipper, suggested a smooth transition post the close together departures of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the commencement of the domestic season strengthened that view, till the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.
India were somewhat unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill got injured quickly in the first Test and was ruled out in the contest. But that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the terribly sub-par showing in each match against South Africa.
Some big reputations 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.
Worrying Trend
It was the second whitewash on home soil endured by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming India's hopes of reaching the showpiece of this cycle as well.
After being third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, India have dropped to the fifth spot. Though nine more Tests are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Typically, playing at home would be a significant benefit - including against the mighty Aussies. But the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, the reason India have performed so poorly in Test matches at home lately is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an anomaly.
Currently, the team look to be beatable on home turf.
Facing New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they developed to favor their game went wrong completely, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
What Happened?
Some suggest that India is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to perform better abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars play, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would present to them earlier.
Even though there is some truth in each argument, it does not clarify the reason India's performances on home soil have seen such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a few causes.
Experts and participants have identified several failings post India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the team lineup, and favoring limited-overs over the longer format.
This was evident in the displays of the side.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - came up short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but inadequately to claim wins.
Management Questions
The review targeted the entire setup - the selection panel and backroom team were also under fire, driven by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the examination was team coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
