The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, South Africa gave India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It was South Africa's maiden series victory in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm built over the previous half-year has all but vanished and the careers of multiple squad members - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a seamless changeover post the close together retirements of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the start of the domestic season strengthened that view, before the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill got injured early on 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 each match against the opposition.
Several established players took a hit, and multiple individuals eyeing long red-ball careers were exposed as not up to the mark - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second whitewash in home conditions experienced by India in just more than a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had pulled off a surprising 3-0 triumph which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage India's chances of making the showpiece of this season also.
From number three in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have dropped to fifth place. Even though nine further games are remaining, five of these are against the Aussies. Typically, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even when facing the powerful Australians. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil lately is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, India were seen as invincible in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an aberration.
Currently, India look to be easy pickings on home turf.
Against New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they prepared to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the home team's players when it counted the most.
What Happened?
A few experts argue that India is failing at home because local wickets have been altered from turners to fast tracks to prepare players to succeed overseas.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars take part, has taken away the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would pose to them in the past.
While there is some truth in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings on home soil have experienced such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to one or two factors.
Experts and participants have identified multiple deficiencies after the team's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, poor choices, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was clear in the showings of the team.
Players like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - were found wanting in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem didn't spare the entire setup - selectors and backroom team were also criticized, fuelled by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the examination was mentor Gambhir.
During his post-series press
