The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, the visiting team inflicted upon India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. This represented South Africa's maiden series victory in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm gained during the previous half-year has all but vanished and the futures of a number of cricketers - as well as head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a new captain, suggested a seamless changeover post the almost concurrent retirements of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the beginning of the domestic season enhanced that perception, until the South Africans turned up and handed out a fell blow.
India were somewhat unlucky that skipper Gill got injured early on in the opening Test and was ruled out in the series. But that fails to account for the team of the highly disappointing display in the two games against the opposition.
Several established players suffered, and a few members eyeing long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
This was the second clean sweep at home suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had pulled off a surprising 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming India's chances of making the final of this edition as well.
From number three in the WTC table prior to the contest, the side have been relegated to the fifth spot. Although nine further games are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
India's weakness in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason India have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil in recent times is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, India were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on surfaces that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an aberration.
Now, the team seem easy pickings on home turf.
Facing the Kiwis in last year and South Africa currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they developed to suit their strengths failed miserably, as rivals exploited them better, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that India is floundering in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to perform better abroad.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players take part, has removed the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would pose to them in the past.
Even though there is validity in these views, it still does not explain why the team's showings at home have seen such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
Most former players diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a few causes.
Critics and players have pointed to several failings after India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the squad.
Cricketers like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - came up short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not well enough to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The analysis targeted just the players - the selection panel and backroom team were also questioned, driven by upset followers and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the criticism was mentor Gambhir.
During his post-series press
