The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It was South Africa's first series win in India in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm established in the past six months has largely dissipated and the prospects of a number of cricketers - including head mentor the coach - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The young team's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a successful handover following the almost concurrent retirements of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the home campaign strengthened that view, until the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. But that does not excuse or justify the side of the well below standard showing in the two games against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and several players hoping for lengthy Test careers were exposed as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the format.
Concerning History
This represented the second clean sweep in home conditions experienced by India in just more than a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a staggering 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a spot in the WTC final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas risks harming India's prospects of qualifying for the decider of this edition too.
From number three in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to fifth place. Even though nine further games are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, playing at home would be a major plus - even against the powerful Australians. However the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason the team have struggled so much in Tests at home in recent times is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered invincible in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an exception.
Currently, India look to be easy pickings on home turf.
Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they developed to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals exploited them better, surpassing the home team's players when it was most crucial.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that India is failing in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to do well abroad.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would present to them in the past.
While there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it still does not explain why the side's results at home have experienced such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies post India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the team lineup, and favoring white-ball over Test cricket.
This was clear in the showings of the side.
Members like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - were found wanting in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to secure victories.
Management Questions
The analysis targeted the entire setup - team selectors and backroom team were also under fire, driven by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
