India's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It marked South Africa's initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm built over the past six months has almost disappeared and the prospects of multiple squad members - including team coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The young team's strong showing in England this season, under a different skipper, indicated a smooth transition post the close together exits of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over West Indies at the commencement of the home season boosted that belief, until the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were somewhat unlucky that leader Gill got injured quickly in the opening Test and took no further part in the contest. But that neither explains nor absolves the side of the well below standard performance in each match against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and a few members eyeing lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second clean sweep at home suffered by India in just a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a surprising 3-0 win which essentially denied India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming the team's chances of making the decider of this cycle as well.
From number three in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have dropped to number five. Though nine additional matches are remaining, a majority are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even against the strong Australian side. Yet the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
India's vulnerability in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why India have fared so badly in Test matches at home in recent times is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, India were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an aberration.
Today, India look to be easy pickings at home.
Against New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that India is floundering at home because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to perform better abroad.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars participate, has removed the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would pose to them before.
Although there is validity in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason the side's results at home have seen such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have highlighted several failings after the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, frequent changes of the playing XI, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the displays of the side.
Members such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - were found wanting in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Management Questions
The review targeted the entire setup - team selectors and backroom team were also criticized, fuelled by disappointed supporters and critical former players. At the centre of the scrutiny was head coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
