The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It was the Proteas' maiden series victory in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the prospects of multiple squad members - as well as head coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
A Promising Start Vanishes
The new-look squad's commendable display in England this season, under a new captain, suggested a smooth transition after the almost concurrent departures of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over West Indies at the commencement of the home campaign strengthened that view, until the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.
India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Shubman Gill was injured early on in the opening Test and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that does not excuse or justify the squad of the highly disappointing display in both Tests against the opposition.
Some big reputations were damaged, and a few members hoping for extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
It was the second series sweep in home conditions experienced by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 triumph which practically cost the hosts a place in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage the team's chances of qualifying for the decider of this edition as well.
After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have fallen to number five. Even though nine more Tests are still to come, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a major plus - including against the strong Australian side. However the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
India's frailty in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home lately is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that helped spin and benefited their players, India brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an aberration.
Currently, the team seem vulnerable in their own backyard.
Against the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they prepared to help their style went wrong completely, as opponents exploited them better, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
The Core Issue
A few experts argue that India is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from spinning tracks to quick wickets to train the squad to perform better in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players take part, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would challenge them with earlier.
Even though there is validity in each argument, it fails to account for the reason the team's showings at home have experienced such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have pointed to multiple deficiencies after the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the team lineup, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the team.
Members like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - fell short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem didn't spare just the players - selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, spurred on by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the scrutiny was head coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
