The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, the visiting team gave India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. This represented the Proteas' maiden series victory 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 invincible streak.
The winning rhythm gained during the last several months has largely dissipated and the prospects of multiple squad members - along with team coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Disappears
The new-look squad's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a new captain, suggested a seamless changeover following the near-simultaneous exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over the Windies at the beginning of the home campaign enhanced that perception, till the Proteas turned up and handed out a fell blow.
The home side were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the initial match and did not participate again in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing showing in the two games against the opposition.
Some big reputations took a hit, and a few members hoping for long red-ball careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second whitewash on home soil endured by India in just a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a staggering 3-0 triumph which effectively cost the hosts a berth in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming the team's prospects of qualifying for the final of this edition also.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to fifth place. Though nine further games are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - including against the strong Australian side. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, why India have fared so badly in Test matches at home recently is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that assisted spinners and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an exception.
Currently, India seem easy pickings on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they developed to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is floundering at home because local wickets have been modified from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to succeed in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars take part, has reduced the surprise and difficulty home wickets would present to them earlier.
Although there is validity in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason India's performances at home have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a multi-faceted challenge, not just a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to multiple deficiencies post the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the team lineup, and favoring limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the showings of the team.
Cricketers such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - fell short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The review didn't spare the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also criticized, fuelled by disappointed supporters and critical former players. Under focus of the criticism was team coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
