The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, South Africa inflicted upon India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' maiden series victory in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and the host nation's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm built over the past six months has largely dissipated and the futures of several players - along with head mentor the coach - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's commendable display in England this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a seamless changeover after the near-simultaneous exits of stalwarts R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the beginning of the home season strengthened that view, before the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.
India were somewhat unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill got injured early on in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. But that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the well below standard performance in each match against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and multiple individuals hoping for long red-ball careers were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second clean sweep in home conditions endured by India in just a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 triumph which practically cost the hosts a berth in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage the team's prospects of reaching the decider of this cycle too.
After being third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, India have dropped to fifth place. Though nine further games are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Typically, playing at home would be a major plus - including against the strong Australian side. But the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
India's frailty in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, the reason India have fared so badly in Tests at home lately is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that assisted spinners and benefited their players, India brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against England, was considered an anomaly.
Currently, the team seem vulnerable in their own backyard.
Against the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The pitches they developed to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as opponents used them more effectively, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that India is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to perform better abroad.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players play, has reduced the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would present to them in the past.
While there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for why the team's showings at home have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars point to a multi-faceted challenge, not only one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted several failings following India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, frequent changes of the playing XI, and prioritising white-ball over Test cricket.
This was clear in the showings of the side.
Cricketers like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - came up short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Just a few - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Management Questions
The analysis didn't spare the entire setup - the selection panel and backroom team were also under fire, driven by upset followers and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the examination was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
