India's unexpected 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, the visiting team handed India a record loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It marked the Proteas' first series win in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The momentum built over the last several months has largely dissipated and the prospects of a number of cricketers - along with head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The young team's commendable display in the UK this season, under a new captain, pointed to a smooth transition following the near-simultaneous retirements of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season strengthened that view, till the Proteas turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
India were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill got injured early on in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and a few members hoping for extended tenures in Tests were shown as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second clean sweep at home experienced by India in just over a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had pulled off a staggering 3-0 victory which practically cost India a place in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas risks harming the team's prospects of making the final of this edition too.
After being third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, India have fallen to the fifth spot. Though nine more Tests are yet to be played, a majority are against the Aussies. Typically, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, why the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home in recent times is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as impregnable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts brooked no opposition. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an anomaly.
Now, the team appear to be beatable in their own backyard.
Facing the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that India is failing at home because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to succeed abroad.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars participate, has removed the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would challenge them with in the past.
Although there is some truth in both analyses, it does not clarify the reason India's performances at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
Most former players point to a multi-faceted challenge, not only one or two factors.
Critics and players have pointed to various flaws after the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the side.
Cricketers like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - came up short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - team selectors and support staff were also questioned, spurred on by disappointed supporters and critical former players. At the centre of the examination was mentor Gambhir.
In his post-series press
