The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, the visiting team handed India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm established in the last several months has almost disappeared and the prospects of a number of cricketers - along with head mentor the coach - now hang in the balance.
Initial Hope Disappears
The emerging side's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a different skipper, indicated a smooth transition following the near-simultaneous retirements of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over West Indies at the commencement of the home campaign enhanced that perception, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the first Test and took no further part in the contest. But that fails to account for the team of the well below standard showing in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and multiple individuals eyeing lengthy Test careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second clean sweep in home conditions experienced by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to South Africa threatens to derail India's chances of reaching the showpiece of this season too.
After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to number five. Though nine additional matches are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even against the powerful Australians. However the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
India's vulnerability in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home in recent times is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, India were regarded as impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on tracks that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an exception.
Now, the team seem vulnerable at home.
Versus New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they prepared to suit their strengths failed miserably, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to perform better in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has taken away the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would pose to them earlier.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for why India's performances on home soil have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to one or two factors.
Critics and players have identified several failings following India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, regular alterations of the team lineup, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the performances of the side.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - were found wanting in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but inadequately to secure victories.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - the selection panel and support staff were also under fire, driven by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
