India's shocking 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, South Africa gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It was South Africa's maiden series victory in India in 25 years and the host nation's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has all but vanished and the futures of multiple squad members - along with head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Disappears
The young team's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a smooth transition post the near-simultaneous retirements of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over the Windies at the commencement of the home season enhanced that perception, until the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill got injured very early in the initial match and did not participate again in the series. But that fails to account for the team of the highly disappointing showing in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and a few members hoping for lengthy Test careers were exposed as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second clean sweep on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas threatens to derail India's hopes of reaching the decider of this season as well.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to the fifth spot. Though nine additional matches are remaining, five of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even against the powerful Australians. But the failures against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's weakness in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, why India have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil recently is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were considered invincible in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts brooked no opposition. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an exception.
Today, the team appear to be beatable at home.
Facing New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they prepared to favor their game went wrong completely, as rivals exploited them better, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been altered from turners to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to do well overseas.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars participate, has taken away the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would present to them before.
Although there is validity in both analyses, it does not clarify why the side's results at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies following India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the playing XI, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the team.
Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - fell short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not well enough to claim wins.
Management Questions
The analysis didn't spare not only the cricketers - team selectors and backroom team were also questioned, spurred on by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the examination was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
