India's unexpected 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It was South Africa's maiden series victory in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum established in the past six months has all but vanished and the careers of multiple squad members - including head mentor the coach - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, suggested a successful handover after the close together departures of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the start of the domestic season strengthened that view, till the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Shubman Gill was injured early on in the initial match and took no further part in the series. However, that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing performance in the two games against South Africa.
Some big reputations were damaged, and several players eyeing lengthy Test careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
It was the second series sweep on home soil experienced by India in just a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had achieved a surprising 3-0 win which effectively cost India a berth in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to South Africa threatens to derail India's chances of qualifying for the showpiece of this cycle also.
From number three in the WTC table prior to the contest, the side have dropped to the fifth spot. Even though nine further games are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even when facing the strong Australian side. However the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
India's weakness in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why India have struggled so much in Tests at home in recent times is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were seen as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that helped spin and benefited their players, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an aberration.
Now, the team look to be vulnerable in their own backyard.
Against the Kiwis in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they prepared to help their style failed miserably, as rivals exploited them better, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is failing at home because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to do well overseas.
Some point out that the IPL, in which many overseas players participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would pose to them before.
Even though there is some truth in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason India's performances at home have experienced such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to multiple deficiencies post the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and favoring limited-overs over the longer format.
This was evident in the showings of the team.
Players like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - came up short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - the selection panel and coaching staff were also questioned, driven by upset followers and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
