The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, the visiting team inflicted upon India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It was South Africa's maiden series victory in India in 25 years and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has largely dissipated and the careers of multiple squad members - as well as head mentor the coach - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The new-look squad's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a successful handover after the near-simultaneous retirements of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the home campaign boosted that belief, before the Proteas turned up and handed out a fell blow.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that skipper Gill was injured very early in the initial match and was ruled out in the series. However, that does not excuse or justify the squad of the highly disappointing performance in both Tests against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and multiple individuals aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
This was the second series sweep in home conditions experienced by India in just over a year. Last year, underestimated the Kiwis had achieved a remarkable 3-0 win which practically cost India a spot in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to South Africa could damage the team's hopes of reaching the decider of this edition too.
After being third in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have dropped to fifth place. Though nine more Tests are still to come, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even against the mighty Aussies. But the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's weakness in the longer format has been badly exposed. That said, the reason the team have struggled so much in Tests at home in recent times is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, India were considered impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an aberration.
Now, India appear to be vulnerable on home turf.
Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they curated to favor their game went wrong completely, as the opposition used them more effectively, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that India is failing in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to perform better in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would pose to them earlier.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it still does not explain the reason the side's results at home have seen such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have pointed to multiple deficiencies following India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and favoring limited-overs over the longer format.
This was obvious in the displays of the side.
Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - came up short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not well enough to secure victories.
Management Questions
The analysis targeted just the players - team selectors and support staff were also under fire, spurred on by distraught fans and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the criticism was mentor Gambhir.
During his post-series press
