India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in 25 years and India's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the careers of multiple squad members - as well as team coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's commendable display in the UK this season, under a new captain, indicated a successful handover following the near-simultaneous exits of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the beginning of the home season enhanced that perception, before the Proteas came and inflicted a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the initial match and did not participate again in the contest. But that neither explains nor absolves the side of the well below standard performance in the two games against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and multiple individuals hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second series sweep on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 triumph which essentially denied the hosts a place in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to South Africa risks harming India's chances of making the final of this edition too.
After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Though nine additional matches are still to come, a majority are against Australia. Typically, playing at home would be a major plus - even against the mighty Aussies. Yet the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
India's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason India have struggled so much in Tests at home in recent times is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an exception.
Currently, the team appear to be easy pickings at home.
Facing New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals exploited them better, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to quick wickets to prepare players to succeed in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has reduced the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would challenge them with before.
Although there is some truth in these views, it does not clarify why India's performances on home soil have experienced such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars diagnose a complicated issue, not just a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted several failings after India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the playing XI, and prioritising white-ball over the longer format.
This was obvious in the performances of the team.
Members such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - came up short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
Just a few - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but inadequately to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - selectors and backroom team were also criticized, fuelled by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the examination was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
