The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, South Africa gave India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory established in the past six months has almost disappeared and the prospects of several players - as well as head coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Disappears
The new-look squad's strong showing in England this season, under a different skipper, suggested a smooth transition following the almost concurrent exits of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the home season enhanced that perception, until the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.
India were a bit unlucky that leader Gill got injured very early in the first Test and took no further part in the series. However, that fails to account for the side of the well below standard showing in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players took a hit, and several players hoping for extended tenures in Tests were shown as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second clean sweep in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just over a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a place in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to the Proteas threatens to derail India's prospects of reaching the decider of this cycle as well.
From number three in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to number five. Though nine additional matches are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Typically, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - including against the mighty Aussies. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
India's vulnerability in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. That said, why the team have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil recently is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as invincible in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that helped spin and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an aberration.
Today, India appear to be vulnerable at home.
Facing New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they developed to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as rivals exploited them better, outplaying the home team's players when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is struggling at home because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to train the squad to perform better in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players play, has reduced the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would pose to them in the past.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it does not clarify the reason India's performances on home soil have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
Most former players point to a complicated issue, not just a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies post the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the team lineup, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.
This was obvious in the performances of the side.
Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - came up short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The review also included the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also questioned, spurred on by distraught fans and critical former players. At the centre of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
