The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, the visiting team inflicted upon India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum gained during the last several months has all but vanished and the prospects of several players - along with team coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The young team's commendable display in the UK this season, under a different skipper, indicated a seamless changeover after the almost concurrent departures of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the domestic season strengthened that view, until the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.
India were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill got injured early on in the first Test and was ruled out in the contest. But that neither explains nor absolves the side of the well below standard display in the two games against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and multiple individuals aspiring to long red-ball careers were exposed as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Concerning History
It was the second clean sweep at home endured by India in just a year. Last year, underestimated the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to South Africa risks harming the team's prospects of making the decider of this cycle also.
After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have fallen to the fifth spot. Although nine further games are remaining, half of these are against Australia. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even against the strong Australian side. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, why the team have performed so poorly in Tests at home lately is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that assisted spinners and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an anomaly.
Today, India appear to be easy pickings at home.
Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they developed to help their style backfired spectacularly, as opponents used them more effectively, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is failing in home conditions because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to do well overseas.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players participate, has taken away the surprise and difficulty home wickets would pose to them in the past.
While there is some truth in these views, it still does not explain why India's performances at home have seen such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not just a few causes.
Critics and players have highlighted multiple deficiencies after the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over Test cricket.
This was clear in the showings of the team.
Cricketers such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - came up short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their ability and standing - but inadequately to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The analysis didn't spare not only the cricketers - team selectors and support staff were also criticized, spurred on by distraught fans and vocal past stars. Under focus of the examination was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
