India's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It was the Proteas' first series win in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's second home series loss in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory built over the past six months has almost disappeared and the futures of several players - as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Disappears
The emerging side's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a smooth transition after the near-simultaneous departures of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the home season strengthened that view, until the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
India were a tad unfortunate that leader Shubman Gill got injured very early in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. However, that does not excuse or justify the side of the terribly sub-par display in the two games against the opposition.
Several established players were damaged, and multiple individuals eyeing extended tenures in Tests were exposed as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
It was the second clean sweep in home conditions endured by India in just a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 victory which practically cost India a place in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas risks harming India's prospects of qualifying for the final of this edition too.
After being third in the WTC table prior to the contest, India have dropped to the fifth spot. Though nine more Tests are remaining, half of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's frailty in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, the reason the team have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil lately is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an aberration.
Now, India seem easy pickings on home turf.
Facing New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, India were beaten at their own game. The pitches they prepared to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals exploited them better, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that India is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from turners to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to succeed in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which several international stars participate, has reduced the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would present to them in the past.
While there is some truth in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason India's performances on home soil have experienced such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars identify a complicated issue, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have highlighted multiple deficiencies after India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the playing XI, and favoring limited-overs over the longer format.
This was clear in the showings of the side.
Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - came up short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their ability and standing - but not well enough to secure victories.
Management Questions
The post-mortem also included not only the cricketers - team selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, driven by upset followers and vocal past stars. At the centre of the examination was head coach Gambhir.
In his post-series press
