The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It was South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in 25 years and the host nation's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory gained during the past six months has all but vanished and the prospects of a number of cricketers - including head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this season, under a different skipper, suggested a smooth transition after the near-simultaneous exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the beginning of the home campaign strengthened that view, till the Proteas turned up and handed out a fell blow.
India were somewhat unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill got injured early on in the first Test and did not participate again in the series. However, that fails to account for the side of the terribly sub-par showing in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and a few members hoping for lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not up to the mark - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
This represented the second clean sweep in home conditions suffered by India in just more than a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had pulled off a surprising 3-0 win which effectively cost India a spot in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming the team's hopes of making the final of this edition too.
From number three in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to the fifth spot. Although nine further games are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - including against the strong Australian side. Yet the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's frailty in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. However, why India have fared so badly in Tests on home soil in recent times is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that assisted spinners and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an exception.
Currently, India appear to be easy pickings on home turf.
Facing the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they curated to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as opponents used them more effectively, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to succeed overseas.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players take part, has taken away the mystery and hardship home wickets would challenge them with before.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the side's results on home soil have experienced such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars point to a complicated issue, not only a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted several failings after India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the team lineup, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.
This was clear in the showings of the team.
Cricketers like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - came up short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but inadequately to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - team selectors and backroom team were also criticized, driven by distraught fans and critical former players. At the centre of the examination was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
