India's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, the visiting team handed India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. It marked 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 invincible streak.
The momentum established in the last several months has largely dissipated and the prospects of a number of cricketers - along with team coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Disappears
The emerging side's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a new captain, pointed to a seamless changeover after the near-simultaneous departures of stalwarts R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season boosted that belief, before the South Africans turned up and handed out a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that captain Gill was injured very early in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against the opposition.
Some big reputations were damaged, and a few members hoping for lengthy Test careers were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Concerning History
This represented the second clean sweep on home soil experienced by the Indian team in just more than a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a berth in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's prospects of making the decider of this season too.
After being third in the WTC table before the series, India have dropped to number five. Even though nine more Tests are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even against the strong Australian side. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's weakness in the longer format has been clearly revealed. However, why the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home in recent times is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, India were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an aberration.
Today, India appear to be easy pickings in their own backyard.
Versus New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they curated to help their style backfired spectacularly, as rivals used them more effectively, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling at home because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to succeed overseas.
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 pose to them before.
While there is validity in these views, it still does not explain the reason India's performances on home soil have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
Many past stars diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a few causes.
Experts and participants have identified several failings post India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, frequent changes of the playing XI, and favoring limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the displays of the team.
Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - fell short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Management Questions
The analysis didn't spare just the players - the selection panel and backroom team were also under fire, fuelled by distraught fans and critical former players. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was mentor Gambhir.
In his post-series press