India's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, South Africa handed India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. It was South Africa's first series win in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has almost disappeared and the careers of multiple squad members - including head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this summer, under a new captain, suggested a seamless changeover post the almost concurrent departures of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the beginning of the home campaign strengthened that view, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a fell blow.
India were somewhat unlucky that captain Shubman Gill was injured early on in the opening Test and was ruled out in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the side of the well below standard performance in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and multiple individuals eyeing extended tenures in Tests were shown as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
It was the second series sweep at home suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had secured a surprising 3-0 triumph which essentially denied the hosts a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail India's prospects of qualifying for the decider of this edition as well.
From number three in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have been relegated to the fifth spot. Though nine additional matches are yet to be played, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the failures against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason the team have fared so badly in Test matches at home recently is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that helped spin and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an exception.
Now, India appear to be vulnerable at home.
Against the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they prepared to favor their game went wrong completely, as the opposition exploited them better, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to do well in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has reduced the surprise and difficulty home wickets would pose to them earlier.
While there is some truth in both analyses, it fails to account for why the team's showings at home have experienced such a sharp fall.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complicated issue, not only one or two factors.
Critics and players have identified multiple deficiencies after India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.
This was evident in the displays of the side.
Cricketers such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - fell short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The review also included just the players - the selection panel and coaching staff were also under fire, spurred on by upset followers and critical former players. In the spotlight of the examination was mentor Gambhir.
At his post-series press
