The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recent Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, the visiting team inflicted upon India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. This represented South Africa's first series win in India in two and a half decades and India's second home series loss in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm established in the previous half-year has all but vanished and the futures of multiple squad members - along with head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Disappears
The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this season, under a new captain, indicated a smooth transition following the near-simultaneous departures of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the start of the home season strengthened that view, before the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
India were a bit unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill suffered an injury quickly in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the side of the well below standard performance in both Tests against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers were damaged, and several players hoping for lengthy Test careers were shown as not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second series sweep on home soil suffered by India in just more than a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a remarkable 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a place in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to South Africa threatens to derail the team's hopes of reaching the decider of this season as well.
After being third in the WTC table before the series, the side have been relegated to the fifth spot. Although nine more Tests are yet to be played, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, playing at home would be a significant benefit - including against the powerful Australians. However the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's vulnerability in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason the team have struggled so much in Test matches at home in recent times is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an exception.
Currently, the team appear to be beatable on home turf.
Facing New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they prepared to help their style went wrong completely, as the opposition exploited them better, surpassing the home team's players when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to train the squad to perform better in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would challenge them with before.
While there is validity in both analyses, it still does not explain why the side's results on home soil have experienced such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars point to a complicated issue, not limited to a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have identified multiple deficiencies after India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, poor choices, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the squad.
Players like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - were found wanting in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not well enough to secure victories.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem also included just the players - team selectors and support staff were also criticized, spurred on by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. Under focus of the examination was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
