The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India a record defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. This represented 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 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm built over the previous half-year has all but vanished and the prospects of a number of cricketers - along with head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The emerging side's commendable display in the UK this season, under a different skipper, suggested a successful handover after the almost concurrent exits of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the domestic season enhanced that perception, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a fell blow.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that leader Shubman Gill was injured early on in the opening Test and was ruled out in the series. Yet that fails to account for the team of the well below standard display in the two games against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and several players hoping for lengthy Test careers were shown as not up to the mark - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second whitewash at home endured by India in just over a year. Last year, underestimated the Kiwis had pulled off a surprising 3-0 triumph which effectively cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to South Africa threatens to derail India's chances of making the decider of this cycle too.
From number three in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Although nine more Tests are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. Yet the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's vulnerability in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. However, why India have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil lately is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were considered invincible in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an exception.
Today, the team appear to be vulnerable on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they prepared to help their style backfired spectacularly, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that India is struggling at home because domestic pitches have been modified from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to perform better overseas.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players take part, has taken away the mystery and hardship home wickets would present to them in the past.
Even though there is some truth in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the side's results on home soil have experienced such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
Most former players point to a complicated issue, not only one or two factors.
Critics and players have pointed to multiple deficiencies post India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and favoring limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the displays of the side.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - were found wanting in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not well enough to secure victories.
Coaching Scrutiny
The analysis targeted not only the cricketers - selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, fuelled by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
