The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa handed India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm gained during the last several months has all but vanished and the careers of a number of cricketers - as well as team coach the coach - are now uncertain.
Initial Hope Disappears
The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a new captain, pointed to a smooth transition after the near-simultaneous exits of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over the Windies at the start of the domestic season strengthened that view, until the Proteas arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
The home side were a bit unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill got injured early on in the opening Test and took no further part in the contest. But that neither explains nor absolves the side of the highly disappointing performance in each match against South Africa.
Some big reputations were damaged, and multiple individuals hoping for lengthy Test careers were exposed as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
It was the second clean sweep in home conditions suffered by India in just more than a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 win which effectively cost India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to South Africa threatens to derail India's prospects of reaching the decider of this season as well.
After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Though nine further games are remaining, five of these are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even against the powerful Australians. However the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
India's frailty in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, why the team have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil recently is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against England, was considered an aberration.
Today, the team seem easy pickings at home.
Against the Kiwis in last year and South Africa currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The tracks they prepared to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as rivals used them more effectively, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to do well in foreign conditions.
Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would present to them before.
Even though there is some truth in each argument, it fails to account for the reason the side's results on home soil have seen such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complicated issue, not just a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to multiple deficiencies following the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, regular alterations of the playing XI, and emphasizing limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the side.
Members like 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 hoping to secure their position in the squad - fell short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - selectors and support staff were also under fire, fuelled by upset followers and vocal past stars. Under focus of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
