India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, South Africa gave India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory built over the last several months has almost disappeared and the careers of several players - along with head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Vanishes
The emerging side's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a different skipper, suggested a smooth transition following the close together departures of stalwarts R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season enhanced that perception, until the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
The home side were a bit unlucky that leader Gill got injured very early in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. But that fails to account for the side of the terribly sub-par display in each match against South Africa.
Several established players suffered, and a few members eyeing extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second whitewash in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just more than a year. Last year, underestimated the Kiwis had secured a surprising 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a spot in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to South Africa risks harming the team's hopes of reaching the decider of this edition as well.
From number three in the WTC table before the series, India have fallen to number five. Although nine more Tests are remaining, a majority are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a major plus - including against the mighty Aussies. But the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
India's frailty in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. However, the reason the team have struggled so much in Tests on home soil lately is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, India were seen as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.
Now, India seem beatable in their own backyard.
Versus the Kiwis in last year and South Africa this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they developed to help their style went wrong completely, as the opposition exploited them better, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is failing at home because home surfaces have been altered from turners to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to perform better overseas.
A few mention that the IPL, in which several international stars play, has taken away the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would pose to them earlier.
While there is validity in both analyses, it does not clarify why the side's results on home soil have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not just one or two factors.
Critics and players have highlighted several failings after India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over Test cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the team.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - fell short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Coaching Scrutiny
The review didn't spare the entire setup - selectors and backroom team were also questioned, driven by distraught fans and vocal past stars. Under focus of the scrutiny was mentor Gambhir.
In his post-series press
