The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Just days ago, South Africa gave India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It was South Africa's first series win in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum built over the last several months has all but vanished and the prospects of multiple squad members - including team coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a new captain, suggested a seamless changeover after the near-simultaneous departures of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the domestic season boosted that belief, before the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill got injured very early in the initial match and was ruled out in the series. But that does not excuse or justify the side of the highly disappointing display in both Tests against the opposition.
Some big reputations were damaged, and multiple individuals eyeing long red-ball careers were exposed as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
It was the second whitewash on home soil experienced by India in just over a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 triumph which practically cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage the team's prospects of making the final of this cycle as well.
From number three in the WTC table prior to the contest, India have dropped to the fifth spot. Though nine more Tests are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a major plus - including against the powerful Australians. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.
Roots of the Decline
India's vulnerability in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason the team have fared so badly in Test matches at home lately is still bewildering.
In the 21st century, India were regarded as impregnable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, India faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, such as in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an aberration.
Now, India seem beatable at home.
Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they developed to help their style failed miserably, as the opposition exploited them better, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to do well abroad.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which many overseas players participate, has removed the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would pose to them in the past.
Although there is validity in these views, it does not clarify the reason the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have pointed to various flaws post India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the playing XI, and emphasizing limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the team.
Cricketers like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - were found wanting in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not well enough to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - the selection panel and coaching staff were also questioned, driven by upset followers and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
