The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recent Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, South Africa inflicted upon India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. This represented South Africa's first series win in India in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum built over the last several months has all but vanished and the careers of a number of cricketers - including head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Disappears
The young team's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, indicated a smooth transition post the almost concurrent retirements of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the commencement of the domestic season enhanced that perception, before the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.
The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill was injured early on in the opening Test and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that does not excuse or justify the squad of the well below standard showing in the two games against South Africa.
Some big reputations took a hit, and a few members eyeing long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This was the second series sweep in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just over a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a surprising 3-0 win which practically cost India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to South Africa threatens to derail the team's hopes of qualifying for the showpiece of this edition too.
From number three in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have dropped to number five. Even though nine further games are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - including against the powerful Australians. Yet the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
India's weakness in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, why India have fared so badly in Test matches at home recently is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an anomaly.
Today, India appear to be vulnerable on home turf.
Facing New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they developed to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as rivals used them more effectively, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is floundering at home because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to do well abroad.
Some point out that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has reduced the surprise and difficulty home wickets would challenge them with earlier.
While there is some truth in both analyses, it fails to account for why the side's results at home have seen such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players identify a complicated issue, not only a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to several failings following India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and favoring white-ball over Test cricket.
This was clear in the performances of the side.
Members such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - came up short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but inadequately to secure victories.
Leadership Under Fire
The review also included not only the cricketers - selectors and backroom team were also criticized, fuelled by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. At the centre of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
