The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, the visiting team handed India a record defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum gained during the past six months has almost disappeared and the futures of multiple squad members - along with team coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
Early Optimism Disappears
The young team's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a new captain, indicated a successful handover post the near-simultaneous retirements of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the home campaign strengthened that view, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill was injured early on in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. But that fails to account for the team of the highly disappointing performance in each match against the opposition.
Several established players took a hit, and a few members eyeing extended tenures in Tests were shown as not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
It was the second series sweep at home suffered by India in just more than a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 triumph which practically cost India a place in the WTC final.
The latest loss to South Africa could damage the team's prospects of making the decider of this cycle too.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, India have been relegated to fifth place. Even though nine additional matches are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a major plus - even against the strong Australian side. However the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
India's vulnerability in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, why the team have performed so poorly in Tests at home recently is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an aberration.
Today, India seem beatable at home.
Against New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they developed to favor their game went wrong completely, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Some suggest that the Indian team is failing at home because local wickets have been altered from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to do well abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players play, has reduced the surprise and difficulty home wickets would present to them in the past.
While there is validity in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings at home have seen such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complicated issue, not only a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to various flaws post India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and emphasizing limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the squad.
Members such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - fell short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Management Questions
The review didn't spare not only the cricketers - selectors and backroom team were also criticized, spurred on by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the examination was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
