India's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, South Africa gave India a record defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has largely dissipated and the prospects of several players - along with head mentor Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this season, under a new captain, suggested a successful handover following the near-simultaneous departures of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the commencement of the home season enhanced that perception, before the Proteas turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
The home side were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the opening Test and did not participate again in the series. However, that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the well below standard display in the two games against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and a few members hoping for extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second series sweep at home suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a surprising 3-0 win which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa risks harming India's chances of qualifying for the decider of this edition as well.
After being third in the WTC table prior to the contest, India have dropped to the fifth spot. Although nine more Tests are yet to be played, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, playing at home would be a major plus - even when facing the strong Australian side. However the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, the reason India have performed so poorly in Test matches at home in recent times is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that helped spin and benefited their players, India brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an exception.
Currently, India appear to be easy pickings on home turf.
Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they developed to help their style failed miserably, as the opposition exploited them better, surpassing the home team's players when it was most crucial.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that India is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to perform better in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has taken away the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would challenge them with earlier.
Even though there is some truth in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings on home soil have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complicated issue, not just a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to various flaws after India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over the longer format.
This was obvious in the displays of the team.
Members such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - fell short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not well enough to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis also included just the players - selectors and backroom team were also under fire, spurred on by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
