The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, South Africa handed India a record Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. It marked South Africa's first series win in India in a quarter-century and India's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm established in the last several months has almost disappeared and the prospects of a number of cricketers - including team coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this season, under a different skipper, suggested a smooth transition post the almost concurrent exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over the Windies at the commencement of the home campaign enhanced that perception, until the Proteas turned up and handed out a fell blow.
India were somewhat unlucky that captain Shubman Gill got injured early on in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the side of the terribly sub-par display in the two games against South Africa.
Several established players took a hit, and a few members aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the format.
Worrying Trend
It was the second series sweep on home soil endured by India in just a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had pulled off a surprising 3-0 win which effectively cost India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage India's chances of making the showpiece of this edition also.
From number three in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, the side have dropped to number five. Though nine additional matches are yet to be played, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - including against the mighty Aussies. However the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's frailty in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil recently is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, India were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an aberration.
Currently, India look to be beatable on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they curated to suit their strengths failed miserably, as rivals exploited them better, surpassing the home team's players when it mattered most.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because home surfaces have been altered from spinning tracks to fast tracks to train the squad to perform better abroad.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players take part, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would pose to them before.
While there is validity in each argument, it still does not explain why the team's showings at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars identify a complicated issue, not just a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have identified multiple deficiencies after the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the playing XI, and favoring white-ball over Test cricket.
This was clear in the performances of the squad.
Cricketers like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - came up short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Coaching Scrutiny
The review also included just the players - the selection panel and support staff were also under fire, driven by disappointed supporters and critical former players. At the centre of the scrutiny was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
