India's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, South Africa handed India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' first series win in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the futures of multiple squad members - along with team coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Disappears
The young team's impressive performance in England this season, under a different skipper, indicated a smooth transition post the close together departures of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over the Windies at the beginning of the home season strengthened that view, until the Proteas turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill got injured quickly in the first Test and did not participate again in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par showing in each match against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and several players eyeing long red-ball careers were shown as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
This represented the second clean sweep at home endured by India in just over a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 triumph which effectively cost the hosts a berth in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to South Africa threatens to derail the team's hopes of reaching the final of this edition also.
After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to the fifth spot. Although nine further games are remaining, half of these are against Australia. Usually, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even against the mighty Aussies. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason India have struggled so much in Tests on home soil in recent times is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were regarded as invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an aberration.
Currently, the team seem beatable in their own backyard.
Facing New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they developed to favor their game went wrong completely, as rivals used them more effectively, beating the home team's players when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is struggling at home because local wickets have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to succeed overseas.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has removed the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would present to them before.
While there is validity in both analyses, it fails to account for why the team's showings on home soil have experienced such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players identify a complicated issue, not just a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies after India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, regular alterations of the team lineup, and prioritising white-ball over Test cricket.
This was evident in the displays of the squad.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - came up short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis didn't spare not only the cricketers - selectors and support staff were also under fire, driven by upset followers and critical former players. At the centre of the criticism was team coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
